Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said President Joe Biden has not taken a strong stance against China, which has allowed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to expand its global influence, most recently by signing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia.
“Biden’s weakness has continued to embolden the CCP, and we remain concerned about their growing malign influence around the world, including in the Middle East," McCaul told State Newswire.
Xi Jinping, president of the People's Republic of China (PRC), recently met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in an official State visit to Saudia Arabia, according to a joint statement by the Saudi Press Agency. They expressed mutual interest in expanding Saudi-Chinese relations and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The two sides 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.” Both sides emphasized "enhancing cooperation to achieve common goals through high-level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee between the two countries in all fields, and intensifying communication between the countries’ government and private sectors."
Xi and the Saudi leaders agreed on $30 billion in deals and 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. Saudia Arabia focuses on economic growth and by working with strategic partners it will “continue to find ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with all,” he said. The Kingdom is a G20 member and aims to become one of the top 15 economies globally. He said working with the second-largest economy in the world is vital to Saudi Arabia’s growth, but that does stop it from working with the world’s largest economy as it strives to work with all large economies and others worldwide.
“At a time when Saudi Arabia is seeking to advance its economic diversification plans, China is a strong partner to have and much less critical compared to other western states,” Chief OPEC Correspondent at Energy Intelligence Amena Bakr said in a tweet.
The State Department website said that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia “enjoy a strong economic relationship.” Saudi Arabia supplies the third largest source of imported oil to the U.S. and is one of its largest Middle Eastern trade partners. Saudi Arabia is the U.S.’s top foreign military sales (FMS) customer, with $100 billion+ in active cases supporting Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense, National Guard and Ministry of Interior.
McCaul, a Texas native, represents the state's 10th Congressional district, according to his website. At the start of the previous Congressional session, he was appointed to serve as the Republican leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
