BEIJING (AP) – China wants closer ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, and is working toward a free-trade agreement with countries in the region, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday.

Wen was speaking during a meeting with Saudi King Abdullah, who was making his first overseas trip since taking the throne.

It is also the first to China by a Saudi ruler since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990.

It also comes as China aggressively courts the world’s major oil suppliers as it seeks new oil and gas deposits to fuel its power-hungry economy.

“As both China and Saudi Arabia witness rapid economic growth, the two sides should seize the opportunity to expand cooperation and achieve common development,” Wen said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Wen called for greater two-way investment in energy, trade and telecommunication sectors, according to Xinhua. He also said that China would push for a free-trade agreement to be signed as soon as possible with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which groups Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, Xinhua said.

China, the world’s No. 2 oil consumer, has been aggressively seeking to strengthen relationships with major oil suppliers as it grows more heavily reliant on oil imports. Saudi Arabia accounts for about 17 percent of China’s imported oil.

On Tuesday the two countries inked an agreement on energy cooperation, covering oil, natural gas and minerals. No financial or other details of the pact have been released. Abdullah also met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and top legislator Wu Bangguo before departing Tuesday.