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What does Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia mean for the United States?

 

The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Wednesday. He met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Thursday at al-Yamamah Palace. What does Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia mean for the United States?

The Chinese president was welcomed by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the governor of the Riyadh region and Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Saudi foreign minister. A purple carpet was rolled out for Xi Jinping. His welcome was different from US President Joe Biden’s trip to Riyadh this summer. Biden’s visit was marked by an awkward fist-bump from an unsmiling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He visited the Kingdom to talk about global oil prices. However, the Kingdom announced a limited increase in oil production. Later on, the Kingdom announced its decision to cut down its oil production, which created a rift between the two countries.

Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi comes in a critical situation. According to CNN, Xi Jinping’s visit will also include a China-Arab summit and a China-Gulf Cooperation Council conference. Reportedly, the Kingdom and China are planning to sign agreements worth at least $30 billion.

The head of Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, Ayham Kamel, told Reuters that the expansion of ties between Saudi Arabia and China could potentially create a further rift in the US-Saudi relationship.

According to WION, Saudi Arabia’s human rights record emerged as an issue in the US-Saudi relationship, especially after the alleged assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Earlier, the Biden administration held Prince Mohammed responsible for the murder of the journalist. However, last month, the US said that Mohammed bin Salman had immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of Khashoggi.

The Chinese president’s visit to the Kingdom will run until December 9. It is interesting to see what the future holds for the two countries.

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