Chinese president to start visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday

Chinese President Jiang Zemin is due to arrive on Sunday in Saudi Arabia for a four-day official visit, during which he will discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Chinese president will be escorted by a high-level delegation including the ministers of planning and foreign trade.

Diplomatic sources in Riyadh added that the visit comes at a time when relations between the two countries witness remarkable progress in all fields during recent years.

The Chinese president is expected to sign a petroleum agreement during his visit to Saudi Arabia with increasing Saudi petroleum sales to China and development of economic projects.

The Chinese president's visit to Saudi Arabia is considered the first in the history of Saudi - Chinese relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.