Oman’s Sultan Haitham to Make First State Visit to China

The first Omani head-of-state visit in 48 years of ties, and Sultan Haitham's first since taking the throne, signals a deliberate upgrade in a relationship that has run largely below the summit level. Oman's position as a Gulf intermediary makes the timing notable, though the briefing offers no agenda beyond the meetings themselves. Whether the visit produces institutional follow-through beyond protocol is the open question.