Saudi crown prince arrives in China

BEIJING: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Beijing Thursday as he aims to seal partnerships on a high-profile Asia tour.

Mohammed bin Salman is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on his two-day trip to the Chinese capital following visits to Pakistan and India.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing´s Belt and Road global trade infrastructure initiative will be on the agenda, as the two countries look to improve their economic ties.

"Saudi Arabia has a lot of capital that needs to find profitable places to be deployed," Saudi energy and industry minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih told China´s official Xinhua news agency.

"China is a great place to invest with a huge market and an improving environment,” he said.

The two countries will sign agreements and memorandums of understanding in the energy, investment, transport and technology fields, said the Saudi ambassador to China Turki bin Mohammed Al-Madi, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. In Pakistan, crown prince signed a raft of investment deals worth up to $20 billion for the cash-strapped country.

On Wednesday, the crown prince met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, whose country counts Saudi Arabia as one of its key crude suppliers.