Saudi Arabia’s China Option

Chinese President Xi Jinping may soon visit Riyadh. Talk of this possible trip comes a month after President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia and as seasoned observers of international relations wonder about the health of US-Saudi relations. For its part, Beijing sees tension between Washington and Riyadh as China’s opportunity. China is already Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, but as Riyadh focuses on diversifying its economy, Beijing sees new avenues to expand trade relations. These include military avenues. The Biden administration’s efforts to court Iran have deeply frustrated leaders in Riyadh, who have hedged toward Beijing by, among other things, buying arms and equipment and working together on nuclear power.

Please join Hudson Institute for a discussion on how far Chinese-Saudi cooperation can go. Panelists will consider whether Saudi Arabia truly has a China option, how worried the US should be, and how the US should respond.