Chinese president Xi Jinping received a lavish welcome from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday as he hailed a “new era” in Beijing’s relations with the region.
 In an opinion piece published in Saudi media, Xi wrote: “the visit will carry forward our traditional friendship, and usher in a new era in China’s relations with the Arab world, with Arab states of the Gulf, and with Saudi Arabia.”
 Ahead of his reception in Riyadh by the kingdom’s day to day ruler, Xi wrote that Saudi Arabia and China “respect each other’s sovereignty and development path [and] respect each other’s history and cultural traditions”.  
 Ahead of his reception in Riyadh by the kingdom’s day to day ruler, Xi wrote that Saudi Arabia and China “respect each other’s sovereignty and development path [and] respect each other’s history and cultural traditions”.
 The three-day visit, which will see the Chinese leader attend Arab and Gulf summits, comes at a low point in US-Saudi relations after the kingdom led Opec+ in oil production cuts, prompting warnings by Washington that it could reassess its ties with Saudi Arabia.  
 Saudi media reported that the two sides have already signed 34 investment deals in sectors including technology and energy, but gave little details. It was not immediately clear how many of the agreements were tentative or when they would be delivered. Washington has said it would observe the visit, which comes months after US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia and told Arab leaders in a summit that the US would not leave a “vacuum” in the region for China, Russia and Iran to fill.
 We are mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, on Xi’s visit. “The Middle East is certainly one of those regions where they want to deepen their level of influence.”
 While America was not asking nations to choose between Washington and Beijing, Kirby said, US policies were “better suited to preserving prosperity and security for countries around the world than those that are demonstrated or touted by China”
 Despite Biden’s pledge, Gulf officials have said the US, by far Saudi Arabia’s main security partner and arms supplier, has grown distant as it focuses on other regions. And Saudi officials have balked at playing off the two superpowers, saying they want to diversify their foreign relations.