How Saudi Arabia’s crown prince snubbed Biden repeatedly to forge ties with authoritarian China and Russia – By Tom Porter (Insider) / January 1, 2023
- In 2022, Saudi Arabia sought closer ties with Russia and China.
- At the same ties its relations with traditional ally the US have been turbulent.
- Experts say Saudi Arabia is seeking to steer a new path amid waning US influence.
In Riyadh in early December, China’s President Xi Jinping met with Saudi Arabia’s de-facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, to announce a “new era” in relations between the countries.
They touted sweeping new trade and energy deals, and alignment on issues ranging from the war in Yemen, to digital infrastructure and space research.
It was the culmination of years of alliance-building between Beijing and Riyadh in their increasingly brazen opposition to US global dominance.
“Saudi Arabia and China each find each other useful. They have significant economic ties, and they expect those to grow,” the analyst Jon Alterman told Insider in an interview.
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