China as Saudi Arabia’s Next Best Friend

China as Saudi Arabia’s Next Best Friend by John Calabrese

China’s inroads into the Gulf and wider Middle East are occurring against the backdrop of intensifying global strategic competition with the United States. Does China’s expanding footprint in the Gulf constitute an additional source of contention in an increasingly rivalrous relationship with the United States? Part 1 of this article discusses China’s role as Iran’s “limited partner” in a constrained environment. Part 2 examines China as Saudi Arabia’s next best friend.

-- From the Middle East-Asia Project (MAP) series All About China --