China's Minister of Economy and Commerce delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, saying that his visit comes at an important time to enhance the historical bonds between the two countries and to increase the level of bilateral cooperation especially in economic and commercial fields. He also said that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries in 2016 reached record levels, stressing that China is making all its efforts to develop relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in accordance with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative. For his part, the Minister of Economy and Planning Eng. Adel bin Mohammed Faqih delivered a speech in which he said this investment forum is a new step to enhance the economic, commercial and investment cooperation which lasted for decades between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China. He also said that the People's Republic of China has always been the focus of attention of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it is one of the most prominent trading partners due to its important economic role in the world and in the Middle East. --More 19:22 LOCAL TIME 16:22 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w355289