China’s Xi Jinping visits Saudi Arabia in bid to boost ties amid strained US-Saudi relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping received a lavish welcome upon his arrival to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 7, 2022. Xi’s agenda for the trip includes a highly anticipated meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and participation in two summits with Middle East countries. The visit comes as US-Saudi ties are at an all-time low, and reflects what some political analysts view as a signal of Saudi Arabia’s repudiation of the West and Washington’s “pivot to Asia.”