BEIJING - The deputy head of China's National ​Energy ⁠Administration met with an executive ‌of Saudi Aramco in Beijing on Tuesday, ​the administration said in a statement on ​Thursday.

* NEA ​Deputy Administrator Song Hongkun and Aramco's Downstream President Mohammed Y. ⁠Al Qahtani exchanged views on global energy security and bilateral oil and gas cooperation, according to ​the ‌statement.

* Song ⁠said he ⁠hoped Chinese and Saudi companies would strengthen ​communication, deepen cooperation ‌and prudently address risks.

* ⁠The meeting comes at a time when the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began in late February, has disrupted global oil and gas supply as the shipping chokepoint, Strait of ‌Hormuz, remained effectively closed.

* Saudi Arabia ⁠is one of China's ​biggest oil suppliers, although Beijing, the world's largest oil importer, ​keeps its imports ‌diverse.

(Reporting by Yukun ⁠Zhang and Ryan ​Woo; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)