China seeks Saudi Arabia to improve relations via military and technological assistance as the US is losing ground in the Middle East.
A reported source said that a 400% growth in arms-related sales that ignored Washington, Middle Eastern states are leaving the sphere of western influence.
This signals a chance for Beijing to outflank Joe Biden's flawed US policy, which has caused havoc in international relations.
China, Saudi Arabia military alliance
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has supported China on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang issues, much to Americans and the West's dismay. On Thursday, a call between China's defense minister, General Wei Fenghe, and Saudi Arabia's representative indicated a broadening military pact in the making, reported the Express.
A shift of Saudi support to China is a big headache to president Joe Biden after losing Afghanistan and getting blamed for the worsening standoff between Moscow and Kyiv.
Petroleum has been one of the exports bought by the US from the KSA and one of its oldest allies, but things had changed when the new US administration took charge. If it was distant now, it is more pronounced.
One of these factors is the alleged killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 that caused a divide between the two nations, cited France 24
Increased production of shale oil in the US has made it more energy independent on Saudi oil compared to before.
Prospective Beijing and Riyadh relationship
General Wei and Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister, had a meeting that ended in a push to cooperation and better solidarity between the two militaries with military and technological assistance.
According to South China Morning Post states that Mr. Wei asked the two countries to stop the bullying and hegemony by keeping their mutual interests at the forefront.
The Prince agreed and wanted stronger unity to move up military ties. We told the KSA official that China respects Saudi sovereignty and will support its aspirations to improve its technology with other concerns.
Beijing is busily outflanking a struggling White House hamper by an allegedly ineffective leader losing the Middle East. Trump authored the Abraham Accord, which could have been a tool, but it was dropped.
China uses its advantages to court KSA and kicks out the already waning US from global power.
Early January saw Wang Yi of the Chinese Foreign Ministry had a meeting with Gulf states to encourage them to have free trade talks in the future.
In the meeting with Wang, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud had a favorable outlook on the prospective relationship between Beijing and Riyadh.
Getting Saudi approval to a higher level is important to China's foreign policy. KSA buying more weapons from other sources.
To date, the US sells the most arms to the kingdom, with 24% sold from 2016 to 2020 mentioned by Sipri, an arms research organization. But less has been bought recently.
A 400% increase sold in Chinese arms, but CNN said that the Saudis were getting help in its ballistic missile program with Beijing last December.
So far, Joe Biden has not attempted to contact the current Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud since February. Saudi Arabia and the military and technical assistance rendered by the Chinese for its weapons program, which the US has not supported. Also, the KSA is an independent state which cannot be dictated upon.