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SVs, PAN Taiwanese President Yen Chiakan down aircraft steps and greeted by King Khaled of Saudi Arabia and others (2 shots)
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GV Party walking towards car
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SVs INT Khaled and Yen exchanging gifts (2 shots)
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: President Yen China-kan of Taiwan has been visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Khaled for official talks on co-operation between the two nations. His two-day visit, which ended on Monday (11 July), came after a Taiwanese company won a contract to build a power station in Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of near 100 million pound ??? (more than 150 million U.S. dollars).

SYNOPSIS: King Khaled himself met the Taiwanese president on his arrival in Riyadh. The Saudi monarch was accompanied by Crown Prince Fahad.

Saudi Arabia is one of the dwindling number of world nations to continue recognising the Taiwanese government. Following Taiwan's expulsion from the United Nations six years ago in favour of China's admission, today only 24 nations openly recognise Taiwan. More than 100 have diplomatic relations with China instead.

President Yen, who was accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of ministers and senior civil servants, has series of visit to industrial and oil producing establishments on his itinerary. Saudi Arabia, one of Taiwan's principal trading partners, more than quadrupled its imports from the island from 1973 to 1975. The planned 50,000-Kilowatt power station with its nine sub-stations and transmitting lines, is the latest in a series of economic lines between the two nations.