Africa Business Radio

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain along with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef bin Falah al-Hajrah have arrived in Beijing for a five-day visit. The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, including a tour of Africa as well as visits to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The officials are expected to discuss strengthening energy ties with Beijing. China has sought to bolster its ties with the Gulf states, with President Xi Jinping in 2014 aiming to more than double trade with the region by 2023.