China’s Balancing Strategy Between Saudi Arabia and Iran: The View from Riyadh

Since Deng Xiaoping's opening-up policy and drive for economic modernisation reform in the late 1970s, especially since China's foreign energy requirements skyrocketed 1993, Beijing's interests Persian Gulf have grown immensely. A staple of its regional has been an insistence on cultivating relations with all states, something that necessitated a careful balancing act between rivals, Saudi Arabia Iran. This article examines strategy to balance these two during periods tension, such as following 2019 drone attacks oil facilities, Riyadh accused Iran masterminding. Following examination this strategy, explores attempts coax Beijing away from Tehran perceptions Sino-Iranian through lens 2021 25-year agreement China Iran, questioning whether are bone contention Sino-Saudi relations.