CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 70

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
Beijing’s diplomatic policy was working hard to maintain
confidence in China’s stability, counteracting US pressure in the region.
Indeed, such efforts achieved their expected and significant results. The
evidence of this statement was the establishment of Sino-Saudi
diplomatic relations in July 1990. 18
The Sino-Saudi ‘Strategic Partnership’
Among all its energy partners in the region, China recognized
Saudi Arabia’s dominant and unique status among global oil producers.
Consequently, Beijing continued its strategy to build closer ties with the
Kingdom. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1990, the two
sides have expressed their willingness for cooperation, and exchanges
within various spheres started taking place gradually. Along with other
issues, the oil issue was becoming a frequently discussed topic in Sino-
Saudi relations. Consequently, Saudi ministers were making visits to
China each year from 1995 to 1998, as well as in 2004. The main purpose
of their visits was to oversee Beijing’s oil sector, finance, and trade. The
crucial moment in Sino-Saudi relations took place in 1999. That year,
China’s then President Jiang Zemin visited Saudi Arabia to oversee the
signing process of the petroleum cooperation memorandum between the
two countries. 19
The continuation of strong political ties, as well as economic
exchanges, became significant in Sino-Saudi relations. As a result,
Riyadh’s share in Beijing’s oil imports increased enormously, from 2
percent in 1995 to 17 percent in 2003, thus topping China’s oil suppliers
list. In the wake of the9/11 attack, US-Saudi relations became strained. In
2004, the Kingdom’s oil shipments to the United Stated decreased.
China’s oil imports from Saudi Arabia increased at the same time, and
Sino-Saudi energy cooperation developed and expanded. In accordance
with dynamically growing bilateral energy ties, China’s oil giant,
Sinopec, gained the rights to extract natural gas in the al-Khali Basin in
Saudi Arabia. 20
Another crucial event in the Sino-Saudi relationship occurred in
January 2006, when Saudi’s King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz made a visit

18
John Calabrese, “Peaceful or Dangerous Collaborators? China’s Relations with the Gulf
Countries,” Pacific Affairs, University of British Columbia Vol. 65 (4), 1992-1993, 479.
19 Lai, “China’s Oil Diplomacy,” 523.
20 Chietigj
Bajpaee, “China fuels energy Cold War,” Asian Times, 2005.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GC02Ad07.html (accessed July 7, 2019)
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