Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Riyadh Wednesday to attend the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, and pay a state visit to Saudi Arabia. While China and Arab countries were economically connected by the Silk Road over a thousand years ago, recent Chinese visions, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative, have revitalized the ancient trade route and gathered increasing support from Arab countries because they help them effectively tackle the needs of regional countries for diversifying their economies and bolstering infrastructure and connectivity. Check out the latest report by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and a survey from the Global Times Research Center to see how both sides have maintained friendship through thousands of years and how people in the Arab nations are viewing China's role in the region.

Time-honored friendship Grapgic: Tang Tengfei, Chen He, Liu Xidan, Xia Qing/GT