WEEK IN REVIEW: Saudi Arabia to Mark Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State Visit Next Week With a China-Arab Summit

Saudi Arabia will mark Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit from 7 to 9 December with a China-Arab summit, according to Saudi diplomats. Invitations to Middle Eastern and North African leaders have reportedly already gone out. The summit will come at a delicate moment in U.S.-Saudi relations, which is increasingly affected by China’s growing prominence in the region. (REUTERS)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under attack from opposition parties for being too soft on China following his recent handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clapped back at those critics on Friday when he said the administration has been “very firm” with Beijing as evidenced by New Delhi’s robust troop deployments along the disputed border in the Himalayas. (INDIAN EXPRESS)