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Saudi Arabia, Philippines Sign Energy Cooperation Agreement

The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and circular carbon economy technologies. SPA
The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and circular carbon economy technologies. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia, Philippines Sign Energy Cooperation Agreement

The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and circular carbon economy technologies. SPA
The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and circular carbon economy technologies. SPA

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has met with the Philippines Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and signed with him a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

During the meeting in Riyadh on Monday, the two sides discussed issues of common interest, investment opportunities, and cooperation in the field of petroleum and its supplies, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Following the meeting, the two ministers signed an MoU for cooperation in the field of energy. The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and circular carbon economy technologies aimed at reducing the effects of climate change, including Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage CCUS.

The MoU also aims at strengthening cooperation in digital transformation and innovation, cybersecurity, and AI.

The two sides emphasized the importance of developing partnerships to localize energy-related materials, products, and services, as well as using and developing sustainable polymer materials in different fields, including in the construction sector.

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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.