CNN —Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping with a lavish reception in the capital Riyadh on Thursday, as the two countries head for a number of summits heralding an “epoch-making milestone” in China’s relations with the Arab world. Saudi state TV showed a grand ceremony laid out for the Chinese leader, as bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler known as MBS, received him at Al-Yamamah Palace. Chinese and Saudi Arabian flags dotted the premises as members of the Saudi Royal Guard lined up with swords and played music. The American president was received in July by the governor of Mecca and the Saudi ambassador to the US in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Biden met MBS in Jeddah, where they exchanged a fist-bump that made global headlines and defined what ultimately became a frigid visit.
