The Chinese president’s three-day visit to Riyadh will lead to a “strategic agreement” between authoritarian powers
Xi Jinping will arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday for a long-awaited regional best friend who has a full state show and a series of deals ready that can cement China-Saudi ties and deepen alarm in Washington.
The Chinese president will meet more than 30 heads of state and business leaders on his three-day stopover in the Saudi capital, which is expected to result in a “strategic agreement” between the authoritarian powers. The holidays are the culmination of decades of cooperation. Once founded on oil sales, it has grown into a bilateral industry worth approximately $90 billion a year.
The reception that awaits Xi is on a par with that received by Donald Trump in the first months of his administration and contrasts sharply with the discreet and largely fruitless scale of his successor, Joe Biden, in Jeddah in August.
Biden had come to Saudi Arabia seeking assurances on global oil prices, which the kingdom had refused to help reduce by reducing supply. He left empty-handed and with strong ties between the two allies under serious challenges, while Riyadh gave the impression to Vladimir Putin. war in Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have deepened ties with Russia and China in recent years as they question the security partnership that has underpinned the appointments in recent decades. earlier this year through Houthi forces in Yemen, and for the 2017 offensive it launched alongside Riyadh against Houthi groups.
Both see a U. S. restriction on arms sales that undermines Washington’s classic role as a guarantor of their security needs.
The kingdom has been rocked by the lack of a U. S. reaction. The U. S. military attacks by Shiite defense forces on its main refinery. Meanwhile, the country’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was angered by Biden’s promise early in his administration to make him a pariah, after U. S. intelligence agencies concluded he ordered the killing of dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
Prince Mohammed’s allies have done little to hide their joy after Biden failed to convince the crown prince to open pipelines and cut costs ahead of the U. S. midterm elections. U. S. On the same trip, Biden promised that the U. S. it would not lose its influence to China in the Middle East. “We’re not going to back down and leave a vacuum for China, Russia or Iran to fill,” he said.
However, the contrast with Xi’s reception may be more stark. The already lucrative deals between China and Saudi Arabia in the technology, industry, petrochemical and arms sectors are expected to be particularly expanded, anchoring Beijing’s aegis at a time when the U. S. is expected to expand the world. he opposed security threats in Asia and the war in Ukraine.
The tour provides the ultimate visual platform to date for Riyadh to showcase its strength of charm as a business partner and its emerging presence as a global voice to be reckoned with. Beijing is already Riyadh’s largest trading partner and Saudi Arabia is a member of the global Belt and Road Infrastructure Plan.
“We’ve been saying for a long time that there are more people to dine with besides Washington,” a senior Saudi official said. “This message will be very transparent when this starts. The Chinese do not give lessons and do not disrespect them. . They know how to do business.
“The Americans, on the other hand, were looking for us on the sides. We’re not leaving. “
The United States has been concerned about what it sees as China and Saudi Arabia being directly interested in Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. oil for its power wants and has made no secret of its goal of consolidating its power and political ties with the GCC.
Before the visit, Chinese flags were hung in Riyadh and in the ceremonial halls where Xi will be won. Gulf leaders and business figures were due to arrive Wednesday, with many winning urgent invitations earlier this week.