Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Xi Jinping has only left China once, to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in September 2022. A second trip is now scheduled this week, when Xi is set to land in Riyadh to meet his Saudi counterparts, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On the occasion of Xi’s visit, Saudi Arabia has also decided to host the very first China-Arab summit, set to take place on 9 December. Although no other details were shared, invitations to join the event have been sent to leaders throughout the Middle East and North Africa, with many wondering what ... (full story)