Li Qiang meets Sultan Haitham of Oman, proposing full oil-and-gas chain and clean-energy cooperation and early conclusion of China–GCC FTA talks.
Xinhua reported on 2 November (Feng Xinran) that Premier Li Qiang met Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman, who is on a state visit, that afternoon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Li said China–Oman ties had grown steadily over 48 years of diplomatic relations on mutual respect and equality; that Xi Jinping had held talks with Haitham that morning and set new plans to deepen the strategic partnership; and that China stood ready to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political trust, support each other firmly and deepen practical cooperation. Li said China would align development strategies with Oman, deepen cooperation across the full oil-and-gas industrial chain, launch more high-quality clean-energy projects, expand cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, space and satellites, ICT and artificial intelligence, and push for early conclusion of China–GCC free-trade talks; expand cultural and educational exchanges and ease two-way travel; keep close multilateral coordination as Global South countries; and, amid repeated Middle East turbulence, work with Oman under Xi's initiatives to restore peace and stability in the Gulf. Haitham said China is Oman's main economic and trade partner and that Oman looks to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, finance, agriculture and fisheries, manufacturing, advanced technology, clean energy, the digital economy and AI, and to strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong attended. People's Daily Online carried the Xinhua readout at 19:15. Oman Observer reported the same day that Haitham met Li at the Great Hall to discuss strategic cooperation and trade and investment ties and exchange views on regional and international issues; Oman's foreign ministry also published a readout. The fact of the meeting had been folded into today's 17:00 full joint-statement item (chinaday.news/i/75); the separate Chinese communiqué is this slot's new hard node. Talks, signing and the joint statement were published earlier (chinaday.news/i/72–i/75).
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