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Is Xi Jinping’s trip to Saudi Arabia another step in the SCO’s Mideast expansion?
- Riyadh is interested in becoming an observer and Tehran is on its way to becoming a member
- The China-led group could have the makings of a no-strings-attached energy club
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When China’s president lands in Saudi Arabia this week, he will be touching down in an energy-rich region with a growing interest in being a part of the Beijing-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Xi Jinping’s expected arrival in the Gulf state for a China-Arab summit comes as the kingdom and other members of the Opec+ alliance are at odds with the United States over oil supplies and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Observers say Xi’s trip could be another step in the westward expansion of the SCO, with China growing not only as a trade partner but also an investor in the Gulf’s lucrative energy sector.
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“It’s going to be a very, very energy-focused meeting,” said Raffaello Pantucci, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
“It’s also going to be another meeting that’s focused in this direction because what we’ve seen with the Saudis is a clear reticence by them towards the United States.”
The US’ ties with Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, and other suppliers in the Opec+ alliance, soured after they decided to sharply cut production to support prices.
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