During his three-day trip to Saudi Arabia this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet the king and de facto ruler of the world’s largest oil exporter.
Wednesday will mark the first time the Chinese leader has visited Saudi Arabia since 2016 and his third trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Tuesday, the invitation to make the trip came from King Salman of Saudi Arabia “to bolster historic ties and strategic partnership between the two countries.”
According to SPA, initial agreements worth $29.26 billion will be signed at the bilateral summit.
On Wednesday morning, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a brief statement to confirm the visit. Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that Xi would pay a state visit to Saudi Arabia and participate in the first China-Arab States Summit as well as the China-GCC Summit in Riyadh.
The visit comes at a time when China is trying to build stronger ties with Middle Eastern nations and putting more strain on its ties to the West and the United States.
Read More: Biden warns of ‘consequences’ for Saudi Arabia over OPEC+ oil cuts
‘Deeper relations’
During a summit in Beijing, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman faces Chinese President Xi Jinping across a bank of light and dark pink flowers. MBS and his entourage are seated on the opposite side of the table from Xi and his entourage.
China’s Global Times, a state-run tabloid, described the China-Arab States summit as “a milestone in the history of China-Arab countries relations” in an editorial. At the back, there is a traditional Chinese painting and the flags of Saudi Arabia and China. The Arab Spring had a “common desire” to avoid political turmoil and achieve stable growth, and the region was “keenly interested in China’s experience,” according to the paper.
“Deeper relations” Following Xi’s confirmation for an unprecedented third term as president in October, the summit with Saudi Arabia, which was presided over by King Salman and attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the de facto ruler of the kingdom, marks “Deeper Relations.”
MBS is expected to lavishly welcome Xi when he arrives in Riyadh on Wednesday, in contrast to the muted reception given to US President Joe Biden in July. China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner.
Ali Shihabi, a Saudi Arabian analyst close to the government, stated that the visit reflects “much deeper relations developed in recent years” between the two countries.
He stated, “China is a critically important partner and military relations have been developing strongly” and that he anticipated “a number of agreements to be signed.” China is the largest importer of Saudi oil.
MBS held talks in Beijing in 2019 about energy deals and regional economic agreements that were in line with Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, Xi’s global infrastructure project.
Additionally, the trip coincides with an increase in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States regarding a variety of issues, including energy policy, regional security, and human rights.
In October, the OPEC+ oil bloc agreed to cut production by two million barrels per day, which the White House characterized as “aligning with Russia” regarding the war in Ukraine. This was the most recent setback for the partnership, which had been in place for decades.
OPEC+ decided on Sunday to maintain those cuts.
The timing, according to Shihabi, was “a coincidence and not directed at the US.”
Read More: Saudi Arabia launches five renewable energy projects – state news agency
In from the cold
China sees Saudi Arabia as its most important ally in the Middle East because of its shared suspicion of Western nations, particularly when it comes to human rights issues. Saudi Arabia is also important to China as a supplier of oil.
The United Nations has stated that the detention of Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities may amount to “crimes against humanity.” However, Saudi Arabia has remained silent regarding the situation in China’s remote western region of Xinjiang.
In October, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that Saudi Arabia was a “priority” in its regional and overall diplomatic strategy.
About a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports are purchased by China.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February caused havoc on the oil market.
Friday, the G7 and the European Union agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil in an effort to prevent the Kremlin from getting the money it needs to keep the war going, causing more uncertainty.
“Oil will most likely be higher up the plan than it was when Biden visited,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt of the gamble insight firm Verisk Maplecroft.
Saudi Arabia on the supply side and China on the demand side are the two most significant players in the oil market.
Analysts have stated that, in addition to energy, leaders from the two nations are anticipated to discuss potential deals that could see Chinese companies become more deeply involved in massive projects that are central to the crown prince’s plan to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy away from oil.
Those ventures incorporate a modern $500bn megacity known as NEOM, a supposed “mental” city that will rely intensely upon facial acknowledgment and reconnaissance innovation.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
