Saudis join Shanghai Cooperation Organization as China bromance blossoms
ALMar 29, 2023
On Wednesday, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported that Riyadh moved closer to joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the latest step signaling deepening ties between Saudi Arabia and China.
In a meeting chaired by King Salman, the Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to grant Riyadh a "dialogue partner" status in the regional political, security, and trade organization. This move was reportedly discussed last December during China's Xi Jinping's visit to the Arab country.
Riyadh's gradual entry into the SCO, which was established to counter US regional dominance, is further evidence that the multipolar era has dawned. Moreover, by withdrawing from the Middle East to better focus on domestic issues and China, Washington has further accelerated Beijing's regional rise. Washington may remain the region's undisputed arms supplier, but its political and economic influence continues to wane.
The fact that countries like Saudi Arabia are turning eastward doesn't necessarily mean that they are walking away from the US. They just no longer consider themselves passive objects in an ideologically charged great power rivalry. If Washington adjusts to this new reality by expanding regional alliances and offering its own economic projects, it will be able to safeguard its strategic interests against China's growing influence.