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China-Saudi Trade is Booming… And Not Just Because of Oil

by Eric Olander
Source: Bloomberg

The obvious reason for Xi Jinping’s trip to Saudi Arabia is to foster closer ties with one of China’s largest oil suppliers (Russia and Saudi Arabia have been battling for the top spot for much of the past year), but that alone would overlook the increasingly dynamic economic relationship that’s emerging between these two countries.

Deeper Chinese economic engagement in the Saudi technology, arms manufacturing and automotive sectors are all bolstering the Kingdom’s status as China’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa.

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