Vladimir Tavridi

 international observer

The official visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia was significant in many respects. The tectonic processes taking place in today’s world dictate new political approaches.

The entourage that accompanied President Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, the escort of his cortege by traditional riders on Arabian horses, wittingly or unwittingly, evoked historical analogies about China’s ancient trade relations with the Middle Eastern states, when Arab horses that struck a Chinese traveler laid the foundation for the idea of trade exchange, which formed the basis Great Silk Road.

China is reviving and strengthening its influence on the old – new trade routes. It brings not only its goods and its yuan, but also its culture and its political influence to those regions that in recent decades have traditionally been under the patronage of the West and, above all, the United States.

At the invitation of King Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a three-day state visit to the country. Its very duration and rich program testify to the exceptional importance of the meetings and negotiations held, which went far beyond the borders of one country. In fact, it was a visit by the Chinese leader to the entire Middle Eastern Arab world. Xi Jinping met not only with the monarchs of the Persian Gulf countries, but also with the leadership of the Arab League.

Among the main results of the trip of the head of China to the Middle East, the following can be distinguished.

In the face of increased competition in global energy markets and the aggravation of the political situation in Europe, China is paving the way to the main producing and supplying regions of oil and gas. Against the backdrop of the fact that the United States is clearly losing ground in the hydrocarbon-rich Persian Gulf, the countries of the Arabian Peninsula are actively building strong ties with other equally influential players in the political arena.

By all appearances, the welcome given to President Xi can only be compared with the honors given during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. In doing so, it is in stark contrast to the modest reception given by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to the President of the United States.

Both China and Saudi Arabia have a vested interest in scaling up the oil trade and implementing major joint energy projects. However, according to most observers, Xi Jinping brought the future to Saudi Arabia. Technologies the kingdom needs so much as part of its modernization program, as well as a lot of money.

More than 30 agreements worth $30 billion were signed during the visit, more than the annual trade between Saudi Arabia and the United States. During the meetings of the leaders of the two countries, the issue of mutual settlements in national currencies was discussed. Although no final decision was made, the “petroyuan specter” caused a wide resonance all over the world and became the subject of discussion in the political and financial circles of almost all countries.

At the same time, China does not make its investments dependent on Riyadh’s observance of human rights or the fulfillment of any other conditions that run counter to the principles of sovereignty and traditions of the Muslim kingdom. In turn, Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its adherence to the principle of one China and did not touch upon the problem of the situation of the Uighurs in the western Muslim regions of the Celestial Empire, which is being strongly inflated by Western countries. And this is the key difference between the Chinese and American approaches. The tired arrogance of the American partners and the friendly tone of China are the basis for the rapprochement of the two countries.

Since the mid-40’s of the last century, when US President F. Roosevelt, on his way home from the Yalta Conference, made a stop in Saudi Arabia and guaranteed reliable financial guarantees to the King of the Saudis in exchange for oil, in fact, buying the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula from Great Britain, relations between the two countries were essentially one-sided, based on the American principle: “if you are with us, then with no one else, and if not with us, then against us.”

Now these financial guarantees are provided by China. Only, unlike the United States, it does not require non-cooperation with Washington or with any other countries. This allows Arabia and other Arab states, whose leaders Xi Jinping met during his visit, to take their place in the emerging multipolar world order.

During the visit, the need for deepening cooperation within the framework of the Chinese initiative “One Belt – One Road” was especially emphasized. In a broader sense, the implementation of this strategic initiative by Beijing will most likely lead to the formation of several regional centers in the Eurasian space, in each of which China will play a significant role.

For China, this approach is of exceptional importance. At a time when the transit of goods to Western Europe is practically closed due to Western sanctions against Russia and Belarus and the NVO in Ukraine, a trade corridor to Europe through the Middle East becomes vital. During Xi Jinping’s conversation with the leaders of the Arab countries, they also discussed not only the Middle East, but also Africa, where the Chinese have been actively cooperating with the Arabs for a long time.

Despite the significant investments by the Gulf States in sub-Saharan Africa, China still ranks first, ahead of the United States and the European Union in this regard. At the same time, it makes no sense for China to compete with the Arab world for influence in this region. The Arabs have oil, gas and money. The Chinese also have money, but no oil and gas, but they have the technology and experience in building infrastructure.

According to Russian analysts, the trade turnover between the Arab countries and China has already exceeded $300 billion a year. Of these, $80 billion comes from Saudi-Chinese trade. Despite the fact that about thirty years ago this figure did not exceed half a million.

Taking into account the realities of the modern world, China will in any case strive to diversify transport routes, and a long delay in the implementation of large-scale projects for the development of transport and logistics infrastructure in Russia and Belarus will push Beijing to be more active in alternative directions, not least in the Middle East.