Saudi Prince's under-the-radar US visit belies ambitious plans

Beijing

SAUDI Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is making his solo Washington debut this week, pitching an economic plan to investors and trying to counter negative views among US lawmakers that his country isn't stopping terrorist financing. Just don't expect to see much of him.

While Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi Defence Minister, has been whisked to meetings across Washington since Monday, all of them have been closed to the press. He broke the Ramadan fast with Secretary of State John Kerry, met intelligence and congressional leaders including House Speaker Paul Ryan and made plans to visit Defence Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon, all without making any public comments.