China and Saudi Arabia: A deepening strategic partnership

Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed bilateral relations in March 2023, following a deal brokered by China and ending a hiatus of seven years. The diplomatic breakthrough underlined Beijing’s political inroads into West Asia. Indeed, China’s relations with Iran have grown in recent years due to an alignment in their geopolitical interests, while China-Saudi Arabia relations have also notably strengthened. The deepening of the strategic partnership is based on strong energy and economic ties. It underlines the centrality Beijing and Riyadh attach to their developmental agenda, reflected in their decision to align China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ programme.

Increasing political, strategic, and economic engagements with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been a notable feature of Chinese foreign policy, especially since the launch of its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. One of the key countries with which China has strengthened its engagement is Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is an important regional power, with influence in the Arab-Islamic world as well as in the global energy market. In December 2022, during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that underlined the growing Chinese inroads into a region that has traditionally been regarded as an American sphere of influence. The China-Saudi Arabia strategic partnership has the potential to impact the geopolitical makeup of the entire region, which is part of India’s extended neighbourhood.

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This paper is authored by Md. Muddassir Quamar, ORF, New Delhi.