Xi state visit to Riyadh raises concerns in Washington
XI JINPING was greeted with Saudi jets painting the sky the colours of the Chinese flag as he touched down in Riyadh for a state visit that has caused consternation in Washington.
The Chinese president is due to hold meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, over the course of the three-day visit, which began yesterday.
It is understood Riyadh hopes to sign a “strategic partnership” with Beijing to boost bilateral trade, which already stands at $90bn (£73bn) per year. However, US officials are concerned that the state visit is part of Mr Xi’s attempts to build his global influence, amid the current energy crisis and a rapidly growing East-west divide over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world,” White House spokesman John Kirby said yesterday.
The visit comes amid increased tension between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which reportedly is concerned that Washington has failed to provide enough support in stopping attacks by Iranian proxies in the Gulf region.
Yesterday, Riyadh was decked out in the red flag of China as the Kingdom gave a far warmer welcome to Mr Xi than the one received by President Joe Biden during his visit in July.
Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst familiar with the country’s leadership strategy, said “much deeper relations developed in recent years” between China and Saudi Arabia.
He added that as the largest importer of Saudi oil, China is a “critically important partner”.