Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) said Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia and the resulting comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between China and Saudi Arabia poses a threat to the global economy and geopolitical stability, and President Joe Biden is not prepared to deal with that threat.
“The growing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and The Chinese Communist Party is downright dangerous and the Biden administration has no clear strategy for handling the threat,” Harshbarger said, according to a statement provided to State Newswire. “This partnership could have severe economic and geopolitical consequences.”
Xi, president of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), recently returned from an official State trip to Saudi Arabia, during which he met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to a joint statement posted by the Saudi Press Agency.
The leaders expressed mutual interest in expanding Saudi-Chinese relations and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, the joint statement reported. They discussed continuing “to firmly support each other's core interests, support each other in maintaining their sovereignty and territorial integrity and exert joint efforts to defend the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states.” A high-level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee was planned to enhance cooperation in all fields, meet common goals and intensify communication between the private sectors and government sectors in the two countries.
Xi and the Saudi leaders also agreed on $30 billion worth of deals as well as 35 memorandums of understanding, Arab News reported. Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that Saudi Arabia was not distancing itself from the U.S. and other Western allies despite strengthening its relationship with China.
“Saudi Arabia’s main focus is how to grow economically, and through the work with strategic partners we will continue to find ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with all,” he said, according to Arab News. “The Kingdom is a member of the G20 and is aiming to become one of the top 15 economies globally. We have to be open to cooperation with everyone.”
He said working with the second-largest economy is vital to Saudi Arabia’s growth, but it can still work with the world’s largest economy. Saudi Arabia strives to work with all large economies, he said, Arab News reported.
The State Department website states that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia “enjoy a strong economic relationship” and notes that Saudi Arabia supplies the third largest source of imported oil to the United States. It is also one of the U.S.'s largest Middle Eastern trade partners and is the U.S.'s top foreign military sales (FMS) customer, “with more than $100 billion in active FMS cases” supporting Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense, National Guard and Ministry of Interior.
Harshbarger, a Tennessee native, is a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, according to her website.
