Oman and China are two nations with deep historical ties. The 1980 Sohar voyage, for example, famously honoured their shared maritime past, with a 9th-century Arab dhow retracing an ancient route from Muscat to Guangzhou. Therefore, when Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's Sultan Haitham this week, it was unsurprising that there was more than diplomatic courtesies on display.