Saudi Arabia-China ... Reasons for Rapprochement and Alliance Dimensions

The Saudi-Chinese rapprochement over the past months has raised questions about why a communist country is cooperating with an American ally in the Middle East, the limits of this rapprochement and the possibility that Beijing will be a future ally of Riyadh instead of Washington .

The Conservation website cited in this context a report translated by Riyadh Post in which they affirmed that the last steps of rapprochement between the two countries, was the visit of Vice Premier Zhang Jaoly to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2017, where there was an agreement to establish a Chinese-Saudi investment fund worth 20 Billion US dollars, as well as discussions on nuclear energy projects and other economic agreements, amounting to nearly 70 billion dollars.

 The report adds that China sees Saudi Arabia as a major source of energy. Saudi oil will be able to supply China's economic development for at least two decades as its economy grows rapidly.

It is also the best time for China to exploit opportunities in the Middle East, especially after years of Gulf tension, especially the Saudi American, whose impact remains despite Trump's efforts to close this chapter. 

 At the same time, oil producers and some neighboring countries to the Kingdom see that cooperation with China as very positive after years of anarchy in which a number of Middle Eastern countries have lost confidence in the United States. China's declaration of commitment to respect the sovereignty of all nations and its dedication to the “mutuality of benefit” is attractive for Saudi Arabia and the region in general.

 On the other hand, the report notes that Saudi Arabia needs China as an expected alternative, at any time, to the United States and a future partner from whom Saudi can benefit.

 About the dimensions of the Chinese interest in Saudi Arabia the rest of the Middle East, the report notes that China's soft power in the Middle East is based on the fact that it is not seen as dominant in the way America does. It is important that China does not start interfering in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia or any other regional country in order to maintain such feature.

 The report concludes that China's foreign participation, which is seldom military in nature, makes Beijing ahead of the United States and the West and is suitable for the Middle East countries to be the strong ally that everyone seeks to win its friendship.