Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Saudi capital of Riyadh this week for a long-awaited three-day visit to his regional ally Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia has traditionally been a US ally, so Washington’s visit, which is expected to lead to a ‘strategic deal’ between the two autocrats, is viewed with suspicion.
During his visit, Xi Jinping will meet more than 30 heads of state and businessmen, the welcome Xi expects is equal to that received by Donald Trump. The reception contrasts sharply with it low profile and Joe Biden’s largely unsuccessful visit to Jeddah in August.
Biden then visited Saudi Arabia in hopes of getting reassurance about global oil prices. However, Saudi Arabia has refused to cut production, so prices have remained high. Biden left with his tail between his legs, since then relations between Riyadh and Washington have not improved. Also because Saudi Arabia seemed to support the Russian war in Ukraine.
Erosion
That Biden has been outspoken is not surprising; relations with the traditional ally and with other players in the region have been eroding for years. For example, not only have the Americans restricted arms sales to their allies, but the United States has spoken too little outright against attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). . Finally, bin Salam has not forgotten: Biden’s pledge early in his administration to consider Crown Prince Bin Salman a pariah after US intelligence agencies concluded he ordered the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.
Washington, old news
While Biden promised during his failed visit to bin Salman in August that the United States would not lose its influence in the Middle East to China, that promise now appears to be inflationary. Bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and China is now $90 billion, and it looks like both countries will deepen their ties. Beijing is already Riyadh’s largest trading partner and Saudi Arabia is a member of China Belt and Road Projectthe New Silk Road.
“We’ve been saying for a long time that there are more people to dine with than in Washington,” a senior Saudi official told the British newspaper The Guardian. “That message will be very clear when this visit begins. The Chinese don’t lecture us and they don’t lack respect. They know how to do business. The Americans, on the other hand, want us to take sides. We do not.’
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
