Human Rights, Non-Interference and Trade at the Top of Wang Yi’s Agenda in Saudi Arabia

March 25, 2021

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi kicked off a week-long six-nation tour of the Persian Gulf and Turkey on Wednesday with a stop in Riyadh, where he met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Relations between the two countries have warmed considerably in recent years as China has shifted large portions of oil buying from Africa to Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states. Saudi Arabia, in fact, is now China’s largest oil supplier and was consistently among the top three suppliers last year.

But as China’s presence in the Middle East becomes more prominent and Saudi Arabia becomes increasingly estranged from the United States, the geopolitical dimension of the Sino-Saudi relationship is rapidly becoming much more important.

Both countries appear to have a shared objection to what they perceive as U.S. and European interference over human rights issues. Wang picked up on this theme when he raised the Xinjiang issue with the prince, who in turn reportedly expressed displeasure over the U.S. countermeasures now under consideration in response to the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi.

Key Issues That Emerged During Wang Yi’s Visit to Saudi Arabia

XINJIANG: The significance of China receiving the implicit endorsement (the Saudis did not publicly comment nor did they object) to Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang cannot be overstated. As the caretaker of the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia’s position on this issue is critical. Wang Yi received a similarly warm reception regarding Xinjiang when he visited Cairo last year, home of the proverbial “Arab Street.” (XINHUA)

TRADE: China is open to reaching a free trade agreement with the six states that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council, Wang said during an interview with the Emirati TV network Al Arabiya. Given that 35% of all Chinese oil imports come from the Persian Gulf, this could be a potential boon for the region’s energy exporters who would gain tariff-free access to the world’s largest industrial market. (ARAB NEWS)

DIPLOMACY: It appears that China wants to take on a larger role in the highly contentious Middle East peace process. In the same interview with Al Arabiya, Wang reportedly floated the idea of inviting Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Beijing for talks. The Chinese Foreign Minister also expressed his support for the Saudi initiative to resolve the conflict in Yemen. In the past, the Chinese have flirted with taking on a larger role, or any role at all, in Mideast peace talks but it never amounted to much. Now, though, China has a lot more at stake in the region and also sees an opportunity to fill part of the void left by reduced U.S. engagement. (REUTERS)

SUGGESTED READING:

South China Morning Post: China’s foreign minister starts Middle East tour with Iran deal, alliances high on agenda by Jun Ma
The Diplomat: China’s Foreign Minister Heads to the Middle East by Shannon Tiezzi

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Rajpriya Gautam