Saudi Lays on Lavish Welcome As China's Xi Heralds 'New Era' in Relations

[beijingwalker]

Saudi Lays on Lavish Welcome As China's Xi Heralds 'New Era' in Relations​

December 08, 2022 7:17 AM
Reuters

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his welcome ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2022.

RIYADH —
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as the Chinese leader heralded "a new era" in Arab relations, with a lavish welcome signaling Riyadh's interest in deepening ties with Beijing despite U.S. wariness.

Members of the Saudi Royal Guard riding Arabian horses and carrying Chinese and Saudi flags escorted Xi's car as it entered the royal palace in Riyadh, where Prince Mohammed, de facto ruler of the oil giant, greeted him with a warm smile.

It stood in stark contrast to the low-key welcome extended in July to U.S. President Joe Biden, with whom ties have been strained by Saudi energy policy and the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi that had overshadowed the awkward visit.

The United States, warily watching China's growing sway and with its ties to Riyadh at a nadir, said on Wednesday the visit was an example of Chinese attempts to exert influence around the world and would not change U.S. policy towards the Middle East.

Prince Mohammed, with whom Biden bumped fists instead of shaking hands in July, has made a comeback on the world stage following the Khashoggi killing, which cast a pall over Saudi-U.S. ties, and has been defiant in the face of U.S. ire over oil supplies and pressure from Washington to help isolate Russia.

Setting the tone for Xi's visit, his plane was escorted by Saudi air force jets as it entered Saudi airspace and a 21-gun salute was fired as senior Saudi royals met him at the airport on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

In an op-ed published in Saudi media, Xi said he was on a "pioneering trip" to "open a new era of China's relations with the Arab world, the Arab countries of the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia."

China and Arab countries would "continue to hold high the banner of non-interference in internal affairs, firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity," he wrote.

Xi, due to meet with other Gulf oil producers and attend a wider gathering of Arab leaders on Friday, said these states were a "treasure trove of energy for the world economy ... and are fertile ground for the development of high-tech industries."

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates have said that they would not choose sides between global powers and were diversifying partners to serve national economic and security interests.

"Trusted partner"

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is a major trade partner of Gulf states and bilateral ties have expanded as the region pushes economic diversification, raising U.S. hackles about Chinese involvement in sensitive Gulf infrastructure.

The Saudi energy minister on Wednesday said Riyadh would remain a "trusted and reliable" energy partner for Beijing and that the two would boost cooperation in energy supply chains by establishing a regional center in the kingdom for Chinese factories.

Chinese and Saudi firms also signed 34 deals for investment in green energy, information technology, cloud services, transport, construction and other sectors, state news agency SPA reported. It gave no figures, but had earlier said the two countries would seal initial agreements worth $30 billion.

Tang Tianbo, Middle East specialist at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) -- a Chinese government-affiliated think tank -- said the visit would result in further expansion of energy cooperation.

The "Belt and Road" initiative -- Xi's signature infrastructure investment project -- dovetailed with Saudi plans to diversify its economy under its "Vision 2030," Tianbo wrote in an article on Saudi-Chinese relations.

While Saudi Arabia was an important U.S. ally, she noted, "in recent years, it has upheld its strategic autonomy, resisted the pressure of the United States."

Saudi Lays on Lavish Welcome As China's Xi Heralds 'New Era' in Relations

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Chinese President Xi Jinping as Xi heralded 'a new era' in Arab relations, with lavish welcome signaling Riyadh's interest in deepening ties with Beijing despite US wariness

www.voanews.com

 

[tower9]

Petroyuan?

 

[Horse_Rider]

Saudi Lays on Lavish Welcome As China's Xi Heralds 'New Era' in Relations​

December 08, 2022 7:17 AM
Reuters

[/URL]

Let's see the Sino-Saudi list (a part of that list already came true). I was hoping everything will happen after this visit but they already bought $ 4 Billion worth of weapons from China from Zhuhai defense expo:

- Petro Yuan - This can't just replace $$. KSA would want to diversify so probably a start would be that China (and whoever after that) can pay for their Petro / Defense purchases and settle in Yuan.
- KSA to diversify it's investments and move a part of $$ from the US to China. Preferably it's tech, real estate holdings, defense and consumables.
- KSA: Setup a defense manufacturing line for TB001 / CH-4/5/6 (not sure which variant): KSA already acquired a large number of TB001 from Zhuhai deal.
- China: Wants KSA to do long term energy and refining agreements and at a "preferred rate".
- KSA interested in Y-20 purchase.
- KSA interested in license / manufacturing line of FC-31.
- KSA to buy AD systems - This will come later.
- China to setup Tech zones for certain products in KSA's new hi-tech city being built for technology.
- KSA-China to discuss ToT / license manufacturing of various tech and defense systems (from above and not mentioned).
- China to help build EV auto industry in KSA.

 

[Nan Yang]

Why doesn't Biden spend more time lecturing the whole world about autocracy and democracy.

Afterall this was to be the center of Democrat agenda.

Where was his speech about autocracy and democracy during G20 in Indonesia or APEC in Thailand ?

What happened ? Can someone enlightened me ?

 

[Horse_Rider]

Let's see the Sino-Saudi list (a part of that list already came true). I was hoping everything will happen after this visit but they already bought $ 4 Billion worth of weapons from China from Zhuhai defense expo:

- Petro Yuan - This can't just replace $$. KSA would want to diversify so probably a start would be that China (and whoever after that) can pay for their Petro / Defense purchases and settle in Yuan.
- KSA to diversify it's investments and move a part of $$ from the US to China. Preferably it's tech, real estate holdings, defense and consumables.
- KSA: Setup a defense manufacturing line for TB001 / CH-4/5/6 (not sure which variant): KSA already acquired a large number of TB001 from Zhuhai deal.
- China: Wants KSA to do long term energy and refining agreements and at a "preferred rate".
- KSA interested in Y-20 purchase.
- KSA interested in license / manufacturing line of FC-31.
- KSA to buy AD systems - This will come later.
- China to setup Tech zones for certain products in KSA's new hi-tech city being built for technology.
- KSA-China to discuss ToT / license manufacturing of various tech and defense systems (from above and not mentioned).
- China to help build EV auto industry in KSA.

Like I was stating yesterday, Xi wants Yuan payments

President Xi says China wants to buy more oil from Saudi Arabia – and that could eat away at the dollar, a think tank strategist says

If Saudi Arabia agrees to accept yuan payments for its crude exports, that could eat away at the dollar's dominance, a think tank strategist said.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Viet]

Why doesn't Biden spend more time lecturing the whole world about autocracy and democracy.

Afterall this was to be the center of Democrat agenda.

Where was his speech about autocracy and democracy during G20 in Indonesia or APEC in Thailand ?

What happened ? Can someone enlightened me ?

You are watching a wrong movie. The US goal is getting richer, mightier, while keeping opponents down. Never about democracy or authoritarian system. I don’t know where you get the idea the US runs after those worthless things. If true then the US will scrap the relationship to Thailand and Singapore immediately because our neighbors are run by military and autocrats.
And of course Biden will scrap Malaysia too because you are run by corrupt princes.

 

[REhorror]

Say what about them but the Saudis, hell, gulf arabs in general, are smart.

 

[Chat SAMOSA]

Say what about them but the Saudis, hell, gulf arabs in general, are smart.

They may even present Xi with a Chinese Rolex?

 

[Nan Yang]

You are watching a wrong movie. The US goal is getting richer, mightier, while keeping opponents down. Never about democracy or authoritarian system. I don’t know where you get the idea the US runs after those worthless things. If true then the US will scrap the relationship to Thailand and Singapore immediately because our neighbors are run by military and autocrats.
And of course Biden will scrap Malaysia too because you are run by corrupt princes.

That's why I want Biden to continue this democracy VS autocracy foreign policy. Yea.... keep calling Saudi a pariah.

Even Vietnam gets the message....if you know what I mean.

 

[tower9]

Why doesn't Biden spend more time lecturing the whole world about autocracy and democracy.

Afterall this was to be the center of Democrat agenda.

Where was his speech about autocracy and democracy during G20 in Indonesia or APEC in Thailand ?

What happened ? Can someone enlightened me ?

the US really needs to drop this holier than thou attitude. It is obnoxious and other countries hate it. It should operate more like China and focus on business and mutually beneficial deals.

 

[Mista]

the US really needs to drop this holier than thou attitude. It is obnoxious and other countries hate it. It should operate more like China and focus on business and mutually beneficial deals.

I think the US political leadership largely don't give a shit, but they have to act like they care because otherwise it's politically unpopular with the electorate.

 

[tower9]

I think the US political leadership largely don't give a shit, but they have to act like they care because otherwise it's politically unpopular with the electorate.

No, there is a purpose to all the moral grandstanding. It’s used as a political tool to keep other countries in line and punish them when they see fit. The reality is that the electorate care less about it than the political elites who are benefitting from these policies.

 

[Mista]

The reality is that the electorate care less about it than the political elites who are benefitting from these policies.

On Saudi, I feel that the media keeps on emphasizing on Khashoggi's assasination while it's in the US's interests to get along with Saudi. If the US is a one-party state with control over the media, I don't think the political leadership will be keen to let the issue fester and work against their interests.