“While Saudi Arabia and other regional actors deem any cooperation between Beijing and Tehran dangerous, some experts remain skeptical of the relevance of the recent increase in bilateral trade. Even within Iran itself, many more reformist-minded commentators have their doubts about the future of Iran-China cooperation and see Beijing as a risk to their country’s economic sovereignty. On the other hand, opinions on Saudi-China ties are optimistic both from the Saudi and Chinese points of view.”

Leonardo Bruni (ChinaMed Project, T.wai & Peking University) in the article “What Did Speculation About Xi’s Fictitious Trip to Saudi Arabia Tell Us About China’s Broader Mideast Strategy” for a new monthly column on Sino-Mediterranean relations for The China Global South Project.