Saudi Arabia joins the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
President Xi with H.R.H Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
An important decision that changes the map of global geopolitics was taken by Riyadh: Saudi Arabia joins China and Russia in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. SCO is one of the most powerful emerging security blockchains in the world. An “armed arm” controlled by Beijing was established at the initiative of President Xi Jinping, with strong support from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, that is, four nuclear powers. A number of other Central Asian nations also have full membership status. There are also a number of so-called “observer states”, including Iran, plus nine dialogue partners, with Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia at the forefront. The SCO is headquartered in Beijing, and the Chinese Zhang Ming was appointed secretary general. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization presents itself as a political, security, and trade alliance, but many say it has ambitions to become a military adversary of NATO.
This week, Riyadh decided to join this bloc, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s ties with China and Russia. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the other day, in a session chaired by King Salman, the Cabinet led by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman approved the memorandum granting Riyadh the status of dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Saudi Arabia is coming out of American influence. Saudi Arabia’s decision to join the SCO reveals the new path Middle Eastern states are taking—to the “East”. China’s influence in the region is growing, and at the same time, it shows how much power the US is losing, which is seeing a traditional ally, the Saudi dynasty, slip away from its influence. As recently as early March, Beijing managed to broker a peace between two deadly Middle Eastern rivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran; the two nations resumed diplomatic relations in what many saw as a genuine image coup by Xi Jinping. However, the choice of Saudi Arabia is not so surprising since, for several years, its interests have been intertwined with those of China and Russia. According to Reuters, Beijing is currently Riyadh’s most important trade partner, with a trade value of nearly 90 billion dollars expected in 2021. At the same time, China became the main importer of Saudi oil. Also, Saudi Arabia remains close to the Russian Federation, with which it leads and sets the policy of the powerful OPEC+ organization, CNBC reports. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have voiced concern about what they see as a withdrawal from the region by its main security guarantor, the United States, and have moved to diversify their partners. Washington says it will stay an active partner in the region.
By Cora Sulleyman
