China and Saudi Arabia are part of a multipolar world order:

Norman Ray

Global Courant

Saudi Arabia views China as an important partner in a multipolar world — and the two countries are only expected to grow closer as their common interests grow, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih told CNBC.

“This is, in a way, a multipolar world order that has emerged — it’s not emerging. China is a major player in that,” Al-Falih told CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh Tuesday, now in its 10th year.

A multipolar world in this context means a global system that is not dominated by the West or defined as a struggle between two great powers, as during the Cold War.

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The more than 80-year-old relationship between Riyadh and Washington is often broadly summarized as one of oil for security. The US has military installations in Saudi Arabia, sells advanced weapons, and provides training and joint operations with the Saudi military.

But the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia has come under strain in recent years, as the Biden administration tried unsuccessfully to sue the kingdom for its human rights violations and influence its oil production volumes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) at Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 8, 2022.

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