China Saudi Arabia relations : economic partnership or strategic alliance ?

Abstract

This paper focuses on the fast-consolidating energy relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which is today the world’s second largest oil importer, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which has established itself as the world’s top oil exporter. Due to Saudi Arabia’s dominance of the world oil market, China is increasingly focusing its attention on the Kingdom as a reliable energy partner; while Saudi Arabia sees China as an enormous potential market and strategic partner. Within this context the paper will try to answer the following question: are the growing China-Saudi relations a marriage of convenience or the beginning of a strategic alliance? The answer to this question will have broad implications not only for the Middle East but also for the broader international system in which China is set to dominate in the coming decades.