Chinese President Xi Jinping's begins his first tour of the Middle East on January 19, 2013. The 5-day tour will include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. The inclusion of three Vice Prime Ministers, six ministers and a large business delegation implies the focus of the visit will centre on concrete investment proposals with China’s Belt and Road Initiative being a main agenda item. On January 15, 2016, China published its first-ever ‘Arab Policy Paper’ which underscored the new thinking that the Middle East is a region of high geopolitical importance for China and that Beijing is willing to step up its strategic partnership with the countries of the region as well as play a constructive role in the affairs of the region. Meanwhile, a recent Xinhua commentary entitled: 'Chinese President’s Middle East tour goes far beyond oil', gives the prognosis that “Those calling China a bystander in the Middle East will see Beijing take a proactive approach to the region of great geopolitical importance next week…"