The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hosts Chinese Leader Xi Jinping on a state visit to forge ties as western tension threatens the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was a big move to deal with the sour response of Washington when the oil nation did not do it biding, said an analyst.
Saudi Crown Prince MBS Seeks Leadership, Independence West
MBS of the OPEC giant made a mark after getting accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which affected Saudi-US ties. Next, he did not roll over for Joe Biden, who demanded no oil cuts until after the US midterms showing western tension. The Kingdom was steadfast despite threats by Washington, seeing Riyadh supporting Putin as a slap on the face, reported Euronews.
On Tuesday, Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman will show leadership as a would-be stalwart of the Middle East, inviting all leaders from the Arab world to Africa for a first-time Chinese Arab summit when Chinese Leader Xi Jinping arrives.
Ayham Kamel, head of Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, stated Riyadh is working to have an alliance with Beijing in the economic sphere, noted Reuters.
Analysts emphasize that although Saudi Arabia needs to undergo a national economic transformation as the world moves away from oil, its principal source of income, the US remains the Gulf nation's primary security partner.
Kamel acknowledges that they risk having more relations like economic ones with China; it can ruin the US-Saudi ties as it is. MBS is doing this not to get back at Washington; it is all state affairs, citing Head Topics.
Xi Jinping Visits Saudi as Tension with West Heightens
Xi comes to the KSA when the two countries are at odds when global energy markets are tense. The G7 cannot help but for its influence over a Russian oil cap, and China is getting more powerful than the waning US with Joe Biden as its unstable leader. Assuming the worst, the Saudi government kept mum on any questions about the Chinese and Saudi agenda.
The Saudis' refusal to follow the Biden administration's demand; bring up its usual trump card human rights. In an interview with a magazine, MBS stated that Biden is a non-entity in KSA affairs and should be more concerned about the state of America.
He mentioned in a remark referenced by the Saudi state news agency SPA that Riyadh wanted more interaction with Washington. Instead, the KSA could lessen money investments in the US. MBS is choosing more economic alliances with Beijing than the US in a deep recession. Russia has earned discounted oil as the top oil provider and another OPEC+ producer.
Beijing also pressed for trade to be performed in yuan instead of dollars. To overcome prospective US laws that could subject OPEC representatives to antitrust lawsuits, Riyadh initially threatened to stop some dollar petroleum trades.
The Biden administration has alienated Riyadh over human rights also the Yemen war led by a KSA military bloc; not the OPEC+ and Russia support blew everything wide open.
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman chooses the Chinese Leader Xi Jinping as a strategic partner that will make the purveyors of western tension like Washington reconsider fast.
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