RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has pledged to significantly expand its high-technology cooperation with China, a move that underscores the kingdom’s strategy of balancing its decades-old security partnership with the United States against its deepening economic ambitions with Beijing.
The commitment was announced during a meeting on Sunday between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi. According to a Chinese foreign ministry readout, the crown prince stated that Saudi Arabia is willing to “further deepen cooperation with China in areas including oil and gas, new energy, artificial intelligence and high technology.”
The talks highlight Riyadh’s persistent drive to diversify its economy and strategic partnerships, even as the United States seeks to reinforce its traditional alliance with the kingdom. The Biden administration had imposed restrictions on certain arms sales and a proposed U.S.-Saudi defense pact linked to Saudi-Israeli normalization stalled. While relations have warmed since the return of former President Donald J. Trump, who secured new agreements on nuclear energy and advanced AI with Riyadh in recent months, Saudi outreach to Beijing continues apace.
“China is willing to be the most credible and reliable partner for Saudi Arabia in its development process,” Mr. Wang told the crown prince, promising strengthened cooperation in both traditional energy and cutting-edge industries.
The diplomatic engagement comes as China aggressively courts Gulf nations, aiming to finalize a long-stalled free-trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Mr. Wang, on a five-day regional tour, told the bloc’s secretary general that concluding the pact would send “a strong signal” in support of multilateralism amid rising global protectionism.
China has been Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner for over a decade, with commerce anchored by energy but rapidly expanding into telecommunications, infrastructure and smart-city projects. Chinese tech giant Huawei, viewed with deep suspicion by Washington, is a key player in building Saudi Arabia’s 5G networks and digital infrastructure.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 modernization plan, which aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil, aligns closely with Chinese technological and construction capabilities, drawing billions in Chinese investment under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The kingdom’s latest overture signals its intent to leverage partnerships with both global powers, securing advanced American weaponry and AI systems while harnessing Chinese technology and investment for its domestic transformation—a delicate balancing act at the heart of the new geopolitics of the Gulf.
AI News Monitor 
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