خالد الزعتر
كاتب ومحلل سياسي

The Saudi-Chinese strategic partnership

Chinese-Saudi relations have gone through many stages of cooperation and coordination, which contributed to the establishment of the rules that govern the relationship between the two countries.

Recently, these relations have been affected by many factors such as the compatibility of economic visions, where China views the “Kingdom’s Vision 2030” as an opportunity for integration between the two countries in various fields.

These factors paved the way for the signing of the strategic document between the two countries during the Chinese president’s recent visit to Riyadh, which included more than 20 deals with an estimated value of more than 110 billion riyals, a step that will ultimately strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, as it reflects mutual keenness for the agreement and the implementation of the highest possible level of alignment between the Chinese Belt and Road and Saudi Vision 2030, in that both are unrestricted by geography, and go beyond the traditional infrastructure.

Both Saudi Arabia and China possess the elements of economic power, which is considered the main driver of strength and influence in international relations.

Furthermore, China seeks through the Belt and Road initiative to improve interdependence and cooperation on a large scale that extends across continents, while the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 seeks to transform the Middle East region into a new Europe and an advanced region competing for a special position in the international system.

This compatibility between the Saudi and Chinese visions has created solid bases for strengthening economic and political relations between the two countries.

In this context, we cannot overlook, the international variables, as many variables have emerged at the international level, including a change in the international balance of power, emphasizing the importance of the economy and its power as a tool for external influence, which coincides with the decline of the role in military force in international influence.

Thus many changes had to occur in the international order as we head towards the end of the unipolar era that was prevalent since the 1990s, and a multipolar world in which an economically advancing China seeks to overthrow the US.

Therefore we are facing the formation of a new international order which must have an important fulcrum, and the three Saudi, Gulf, and Arab summits with China, which were preceded by three Saudi, Gulf, and Arab summits with the United States, confirm that Saudi Arabia is an important fulcrum in the new international system, which would explain why China is eager to build strategic relations with Riyadh, given its distinguished strategic location, its leading investment power and international standing.

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