Xi Jinping-Bin Salman Meeting Shakes US Middle East Hegemony... "Many Middle Eastern Leaders Expected to Gather"

"14 Leaders, Prospects for Meeting with Xi Jinping"
Expected to Gather More Than During Biden's July Visit
"China Filling the Void in US Middle East Exit Strategy"

In September 2016, at the G20 summit held in Hangzhou, China, Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) met and greeted each other. Hangzhou=Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Saudi Arabia this week and hold talks with leaders of 14 Middle Eastern countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It is anticipated that more leaders will gather than during U.S. President Joe Biden's Middle East tour in July, which is expected to deal a blow to 'U.S. dominance in the Middle East.' In particular, since energy cooperation as well as security discussions are expected to take place during this meeting, analysts predict that China's standing in the Middle East will further increase.

On the 5th (local time), CNN cited an Arab senior source saying, "President Xi is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia for two days from the 8th to the 9th," and "During this visit, President Xi will hold talks with leaders of at least 14 Middle Eastern countries, including the GCC states."

Neither country has disclosed the specific schedule of the talks. However, if this forecast holds true, it will create a situation where leaders of GCC member states and Middle Eastern countries all gather to welcome President Xi. This is very unusual outside of a U.S. presidential visit. Previously, during President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia in July, only nine leaders gathered, including GCC members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

In particular, since the GCC Cooperation Council is a meeting where not only economic cooperation but also arms support and security issues are discussed, there is a possibility that China will lay the groundwork for deeper involvement in Middle Eastern security in the future. During President Biden's visit in July, the GCC Cooperation Council discussed air defense support to counter threats from Iran's nuclear development, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).

China and Saudi Arabia's security relationship is already considered to have deepened. In December last year, U.S. intelligence agencies revealed that Saudi Arabia had received missile production technology from China and was producing ballistic missiles domestically. In March this year, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and the Saudi government signed a contract for drone production.

Through this visit, there is also a possibility that Saudi Arabia will officially join the China-led BRICS. BRICS is a consultative group among five emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. China has sought to expand BRICS' scope to counter the U.S. and Western organizations such as NATO and the Quad.

Bernard Haykel, a Middle East expert at Princeton University in the U.S., wrote in an editorial published by Saudi state media Al Arabiya News, "Since last year, China has been cooperating with Saudi Arabia and Arab countries in exporting and producing ballistic missiles and military drones, and especially supporting Saudi Arabia's uranium mining and nuclear development," adding, "President Xi's visit will not simply expand oil trade but will serve as an opportunity for China to fill the void left by the U.S. exit strategy from the Middle East."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.