KSA: Saudi invites China leader to boost ties – Gulf Digital News

KSA: Saudi invites China leader to boost ties – Gulf Digital News

Saudi Arabia has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Riyadh as the kingdom looks to deepen ties with Beijing amid strained relations with Washington, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The trip is expected to happen after the holy month of Ramadan, which begins early next month, in what could be Xi’s first foreign travel since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Riyadh is planning to replicate the warm reception it gave to former President Donald Trump in 2017 when he visited the kingdom on his first trip abroad, said the newspaper.

“The crown prince and Xi are close friends and both understand that there is huge potential for stronger ties,” said a Saudi official. “It is not just ‘They buy oil from us and we buy weapons from them’.”

The newspaper said the trip comes amid shifting geopolitics in the Middle East, as the US looks to focus more attention and resources on Asia while China and Russia expand their influence in the region. Amid doubts about Washington’s staying power, especially after the rushed US withdrawal from Afghanistan, many of its regional partners are seeking out new security and economic ties.

The war in Ukraine has further highlighted the changes underway to traditional alliances in the Middle East. Saudi