Saudi-Sino axis

China is taking the route to South. President Xi Jinping’s landmark visit to Saudi Arabia could not have come at a more opportune moment. This is his first landmark sojourn to the Middle East after being elected as the secretary-general of the Communist Party for the third consecutive term, and head of state likewise. It signals the diversity of optimism for both the nations as they go on to flex their muscles on the global paradigm. Riyadh’s eagerness to strike a new chord of understanding with Beijing is never lost, as it has landed in a confused circumference with Washington. The recent uneasiness between the US and Saudi Arabia is no secret, and the Kingdom’s restlessness to retain its edge in realpolitik inches it towards the economic superpower.

China is the biggest energy procurer from the Middle East and incidentally Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of black gold that is essential to keep the wheel of economy turning worldwide. The winter factor and the ongoing food spiral crisis, coupled with the war in Ukraine, has pitched a new scenario of leadership and power tussle. China wants to be part of Middle East and wider Asia prism and that is why the Belt and Road Initiative corresponds to the rising realities of the new era. Thus, as the spat between Saudi Arabia and the US intensifies over human rights and oil output curbs, the Machiavellian factor has apparently come into play. The Kingdom’s decision to welcome President Xi with full laurels and festivity is a signature mark of its open-ended foreign policy, and surely magnifies the Muslim state’s role in the region and beyond.

China and Saudi Arabia share a common denominator of pro-development. As the new leadership in Riyadh of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is out to empower the youth, it has much to learn from China. Likewise, Beijing by making inroads in the Muslim world, especially as it was an observer at OIC Extraordinary moot, is magnifying its image as a saviour and a responsible emerging superpower. It is a win-win situation for both.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2022.

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