MBS Warms Up to China

To describe Chinese president Xi Jinping’s very warm reception in Saudi Arabia last week as a royal welcome would be an understatement. It made for a stark contrast with last summer’s frosty fist-bump between Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Biden.

Xi’s visit to Riyadh represents a new milestone in the fast-developing ties between China and the Arab world, a region traditionally seen as part of America’s (and to a lesser extent Russia’s) sphere of influence.

The fact that the Chinese president’s visit came during a crisis in the administration’s ties with the kingdom is especially significant. While American dollars and Saudi oil long seemed a perfect match, we got an inkling that things have changed with Saudi Arabia’s refusal to increase its oil output last summer, despite American pressure. Are the Saudis rethinking their loyalties?

“It is a reminder by the Saudis that they have options and will balance their relationship with America, especially when its leaders feel underappreciated and also question whether they can count on the US,” says Dennis Ross, a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East.