No longer a diplomatic lightweight? Exploring Saudi media perceptions of China’s relations with Riyadh following Xi Jinping’s December 2022 visit

This article explores the implications of Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Riyadh and China’s position in the Arab World vis-à-vis the USA. In particular, it will observe Saudi media perceptions of a rising China. We conclude that China is not on its way to replace the US as the main security guarantor of the region, but that its diplomatic clout is on the rise. One could hardly think of a more improbable friendship than that of Saudi Arabia and China, given their differing views on religion and ideology, and their history of strategic animosity. The Kingdom’s security leaning on the US, its once warm relationship with Taiwan, and shared anti-Communist ideology had caused a deep-seated distrust in China; while from the Chinese side, the Saudis had been perceived as reactionary and feudal until the 1980s. What is more, during the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese supported the PFLOAG rebellion in Oman, the broader aims of which were to abolish monarchial rule in the Middle East. Yet, on the other hand, both countries are authoritarian and share a zeal for independence of mind, even if they were once on opposing camps during the Cold War. Both countries aim, at present, to overcome what they call “Cold War mentality”. Nowadays, one often hears in the Saudi Arabian press that relations between the Chinese and Arabs are “genetically” close, much like the Chinese contend that aggression is not in their DNA. And that the two nations are linked by an “illustrious past and bright future”.