Chinese President's visit to Saudi will not end US influence

Washington – Chinese President Xi Jinping will tour Saudi Arabia next week and meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Some analysts say that the Chinese President’s visit signifies the waning of US influence over Saudi Arabia. However, the US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, rejected this claim. Not only Saudi Arabia but the US’s influence in the Middle East remains; the US will not go anywhere from here, Lenderking said.

Moreover, Lenderking reminded US President Joe Biden had visited Saudi Arabia in July. Besides, Landerking claimed that an important message was given that the US will not go anywhere from the region through the visit of the President to Saudi Arabia. The US’s cooperation with Saudi Arabia and all countries in the region will continue even further. Moreover, Lenderking clarified that it would be wrong to claim that US influence has ended due to visits by other countries’ leaders to Saudi Arabia.

Lenderking has avoided giving more importance to the visit of the Chinese President to Saudi Arabia by saying that it is quite natural for the leaders of other countries to visit Saudi Arabia. However, considering the current events, the Chinese President’s visit to Saudi becomes noteworthy. During his visit in July, the US President made some demands to Saudi Arabia and the fuel-producing Gulf countries. This included the demand for increased fuel production. The logic was that if Saudi Arabia and other fuel-producing countries increased fuel production, fuel prices would decrease.

Fuel prices have rumbled as Ukraine’s conflict has raged. That is why there is a feeling of disfavour worldwide against the US for provoking Russia to attack Ukraine. The US population is also upset by the fuel price hike, which has hit President Biden. Biden expected Saudi cooperation to lower fuel prices in such a situation. But Saudi rejected his demand.

US influence Saudi feels that the Biden administration has adopted a policy favouring its rival, Iran. Also, in the Saudi conflict with the Yemeni rebels, Biden had openly made decisions to strengthen the Yemeni rebels. Besides, the Biden administration had opened a front against the Saudi leadership by alleging that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Also, the Biden administration had taken steps to prevent Saudi Arabia from getting US-made weapons. Over time, this decision was reversed, and the Biden administration also started trying to reconcile with Saudi. President Biden also toured Saudi Arabia for this. But this has not significantly benefited the US. Saudi rejected Biden’s demand to increase fuel production. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia had denied giving particular importance to the visit of the US President.

This is the background behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia. That is why claims are being made that the Chinese President’s visit to Saudi Arabia has jarred the influence of the US on Saudi Arabia. No matter how much the US special envoy in Yemen tries to refute these claims, the US will have to do more to bridge the gap between the US and Saudi Arabia.

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