President Xi Jinping will begin a visit to the Middle East today, marking his first official trip to the region since taking office. This trip will take Xi to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran from Tuesday to Saturday. It will be the first state visit in nearly 12 years by a Chinese president to Egypt. It also comes at a critical time, with Saudi Arabia and Iran tangled in a diplomatic spat. So how should we interpret Xi's first overseas trip in 2016? What can China and the three major Middle Eastern countries offer each other? PIK spoke to Dr. Teng Jianqun, senior researcher at China Institute of International Studies and Victor Gao, current affairs commentator.