Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the China-Arab summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, December 2022 (AFP)

China plans to maintain strong collaboration with Saudi Arabia on matters important for both countries, strengthening practical cooperation and humanitarian exchange, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday during a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"China is ready to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and maintain a strong, mutually supportive relationship on the points of mutual interest, expand practical cooperation and humanitarian exchange, as well promote the all-round strategic partnership between both countries for further development," China Central Television quoted Xi as saying.

Read: Saudi-Iranian agreement to restore diplomatic relations

According to China Central Television, Xi also showed a willingness to combine efforts with Saudi Arabia to promote peace and stability in the Middle East as well as development in the region.

Bin Salman also congratulated the Chinese President on his re-election as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) earlier in March.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince added that his country considers the development of its relationship with China as very important and is ready to work for new horizons of mutual partnership.

The ties between China and Saudi Arabia have developed after Xi's official visit to Riyadh in December, the first in six years, to attend the Riyadh-China Arab summit for cooperation and Development.

The visit resulted in around 20 deals signed by both governments spanning several fields and sectors.

The two sides also signed a number of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding, including a plan to align the kingdom's Vision 2030 with the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, a memorandum of understanding in the field of hydrogen energy, and a memorandum of understanding in the field of Direct Investment Promotion.

A couple of weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources as saying that Xi sent an offer to Iran and Arab nations of the Gulf, or the nations of the GCC, to host a summit this year in China.

According to WSJ, sources claimed that Iran and Saudi Arabia are due to reconvene within the next two months to close the deal, with agreed-upon details such as Iran's agreement to not support attacks on Saudi Arabia from the Yemenis and Saudi Arabia's agreement to stop criticizing Iran in the media.

It is worth noting that White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said earlier in March that the United States will not step back on its role in the Middle East after China played the role of restoring the ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Kirby also claimed that the US supports peace in the Middle East and opposes rising tensions. As such, they would like to see the war in Yemen end. However, Kirby announced that the US was not directly involved in the recent negotiations [between Iran and Saudi Arabia.], adding that Iran may have entered into the negotiations due to internal pressures.

He stressed that it is important to note that throughout the negotiations aimed at restoring diplomatic ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia kept the United States informed.

The US referred to China's mediation in restoring ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia as an attempt to gain influence around the world.

After seven years of strained ties, with the help of Beijing brokered the series of talks and negotiations, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties and reopen missions in their respective countries.

Saudi Arabia is strengthening ties with China as numbers show that Beijing and Riyadh's trading has been increasing significantly, making China Saudi Arabia's main trading partner.