China’s premier will discuss the Arab Spring with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar during a visit to those countries later this month, a Chinese official said on Jan. 11. Wen Jiabao’s visit from Jan. 14-19 will be the first by a Chinese premier to Saudi Arabia in 20 years and to the other two Gulf countries since diplomatic relations were established in the 1980s.
In addition to strengthening relations with the countries – Saudi Arabia is China’s biggest oil supplier – Wen will talk about the recent upheavals as well, Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun told reporters. The Arab Spring protests appeared to worry China’s rulers, who used disappearances, house arrests, lengthy prison terms and other means to prevent Chinese activists from emulating the unrest in the Middle East. It was one of China’s broadest campaigns of repression in years, with authorities rounding up dozens of bloggers, lawyers and intellectuals. Most have since been released.