The Facts
Saudi King Salman and Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping on Thursday signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement" as part of Xi's historic visit to Riyadh aimed at bolstering political and economic ties.
The multiple strategic deals between the two countries included an MoU with China's Huawei Technologies on cloud computing and building high-tech complexes in Saudi cities.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
Xi's trip is a fantastic opportunity for China to increase trade and cooperation with the Arab world, specifically its main oil-producing states. China and the Middle East are natural cooperative partners, as they have shared experiences in their respective struggles with Western imperialism. The Arab world has become tired of the condescending arrogance of the West and deserves a real international partner, such as China.
Anti-China narrative
Though Xi's trip to Saudi Arabia may seem like a routine summit, in reality, it demonstrates China's desire to export its own brand of high-tech authoritarianism. China's goals are overall economic in nature, but they also seek to empower the region's despots within a system of totalitarian capitalism. For China, ideals like freedom and democracy mean nothing, and economic and geopolitical interests trump all.
