Gulf Arab states draw closer to China as Xi visits Riyadh

Arab states and China pledged deeper ties at a summit with president Xi Jinping on Friday, with Saudi Arabia saying it would balance its relationships with Beijing and the kingdom’s traditional partner, the US. 

Xi wrapped up a three-day stay in the Saudi capital Riyadh, saying China would work more closely with the region and boost oil and gas trade, after a visit the US was watching closely.

The US has had strained ties with Saudi Arabia that hit a low point after the Saudi-led Opec+ cut oil production earlier this year. It hosted the summit just months after president Joe Biden visited the kingdom and pledged that the US would not leave a vacuum in the region to be filled by China, Iran and Russia. 

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