The Reasons for the Expansion of Foreign Relations between Saudi Arabia and China

پژوهش نامه ایرانی سیاست بین الملل

Article 5, Volume 11, Issue 1 - Serial Number 21, September 2022, Pages 117-142   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/irlip.2022.21420.0

Author

mahdiyeh heidari^*

. PhD of International Relations, Allameh Tabatabaei University

Abstract

Abstract
With taking of power by Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia and rising of China as a great power, the development of foreign relations has become the focus of the two statets' foreign policy. So the main question is, what are the reasons for the expansion of these political, economic and cultural interactions between China and Saudi Arabia? The hypothetical hypothesis is that the expansion of Sino-Saudi interaction is due to three main reasons: first) China's guarantee of stable access to energy resources and diversification of its market share by Saudi Arabia, and second) competition and tension Regional and international, third) efforts to prevent the spread of extremist Islamism. Using Waltz's theory of realism, the findings show that Chinese leaders have sought to balance power in the face of US economic pressures by designing a one-way belt project and engaging Saudi interests with the project while accessing the country's energy. The United States has sought to strike a balance of power against Saudi Arabia's expansion of influence in the region, as well as to reduce tensions and pressure from the United States. The United States has been committed to Saudi Arabia by creating a new strategic ally at the regional and international levels. The method of data collection in this research is based on the library method and the research method is based on the descriptive-analytical method.
 
 

Keywords

China; Saudi Arabia; Structural Realism; Foreign Relations; Balance of Power

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