Saudi Arabia's leader,

 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will host Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Analysts said the move showed Riyadh was determined to find ways to play its own way in a polarized world order, regardless of the wishes of its Western allies, at a time when relations between the United States and the kingdom are delicate.


 

After the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi led to a sharp deterioration in relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States, Crown Prince Salman has returned to the international arena, ignoring U.S. policy on Saudi energy grievances despite pressure from Washington for Riyadh to help isolate Moscow.

In a show of his desire to be a strong leader in the Arab world, Prince Salman will also host other Middle East and North African leaders for a China-Arab summit during Xi's visit, which begins Tuesday.

China says the summit will be an important milestone in the history of Sino-Arab relations.

Xi's visit comes at a time when U.S.-Saudi relations are at a low point, while the West's imposition of a price cap on Russian crude has created uncertainty in world energy markets, and the U.S. is cautiously watching Beijing's growing presence in the Middle East. influence.

Crown Prince Salman said in March that Saudi Arabia could choose to reduce its investment in the United States.

Saudi Arabia is China's largest crude oil supplier and is deepening economic ties with China.

Diplomats in the Middle East said Xi would be greeted with grandeur during the trip, in stark contrast to the awkward visit by U.S. President Joe Biden in July.

The Chinese delegation is expected to sign dozens of agreements with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states on energy, security and investment.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have said they will continue to seek to diversify their partnerships, despite U.S. concerns about their relations with Russia and China.

White House national security spokesman Bryant said on Wednesday that the United States wanted to ensure that its strategic relationship with Riyadh was in "our best interest."

Washington has expressed concern about Gulf states' use of Chinese 5G technology and Chinese investment in sensitive infrastructure such as ports.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are buying military equipment from Beijing, although the United States is the preferred security partner for Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia. A Saudi company has signed a deal with a company to manufacture armed drones in the kingdom.

However, Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the United States, said that Saudi Arabia's relationship with China is far less close and diverse than its relationship with the United States