Xi Jinping and Sultan Haitham discussed Persian Gulf security and signed 14 agreements

First visit of the Omani monarch to China

On November 2, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This is the first visit by a head of the Omani state since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1978. The visit takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, which began in February after American-Israeli strikes on Tehran, Anadolu reports, citing Chinese state media.

A call not to turn the region into an arena of rivalry

Xi Jinping stated that the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region 'should not become an arena of rivalry between great powers and geopolitical conflicts,' and that peace and stability require joint efforts by all parties. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he emphasized China's readiness to help end the war between the US and Iran and to coordinate with Arab countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council states. A joint statement of 20 points China and Oman called for the resumption of normal and safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and urged the US and Iran to return to the agreements reached in June and resume dialogue — The National reports.

The economic component

Sultan Haitham called China Oman's largest trading partner and said that direct investments by Chinese companies in partnership with the Oman Investment Authority have exceeded 33 billion yuan (about $4.6 billion) in recent years. Oman expressed readiness to conclude a preferential trade and investment agreement with China. According to Anadolu, Oman is the fifth-largest oil supplier to China and the fourth among Arab trading partners, with trade turnover reaching $36.73 billion in 2024. The parties signed at least 14 agreements, memorandums and protocols covering supply chains, green development and digital finance (according to the ONA agency), and also agreed to expand cooperation in energy, investment, AI and technology.

Technology and regional diplomacy

The National specifies that in the joint statement the parties agreed to deepen cooperation in oil and gas and expand partnership in renewable energy — solar and wind power, electricity transmission and storage. During the visit, Omani ministers Badr al-Busaidi and Said al-Maawali met with representatives of Chinese companies: transport, logistics, communications, AI and unmanned aviation were discussed in the interests of economic diversification and the goals of 'Oman Vision 2040.' Separately, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun will visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month.