by Angeline Tan, The New American:

December saw Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. During the meeting, Xi said Beijing had unveiled five “priority” areas in its ties with the Gulf countries for the future, such as the fulfillment of bilateral oil and gas transactions in the Chinese yuan.

Xi urged the GCC countries to use the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange to conduct yuan-based energy deals. Also, China and Saudi Arabia inked more than $30 billion in trade deals during the visit.