Closer military ties with Saudi Arabia are on the cards for China, which is expanding its presence in the Middle East as US influence wanes.
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe, meeting the Saudi deputy defence chief via video link, pledged to push forward "practical cooperation [and] strengthening solidarity" between the two armies.
China and Saudi Arabia should "strengthen coordination and jointly oppose hegemonic and bullying practices, to safeguard ... the interests of developing countries together", Wei told Prince Khalid bin Salman, the deputy defence minister of Saudi Arabia, in an apparent reference to the United States.
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Saudi Arabia 'at the top' of China's Middle Eastern diplomacy
The Chinese military was keen to "maintain strategic communication and push forward practical cooperation [with the Saudis]", Wei said, according to a defence ministry readout of Wednesday's virtual meeting.
In response, Khalid urged stronger cooperation "to enhance military ties to a higher level", the readout said.
Wei also acknowledged the Saudis' "strong support" for Beijing's policies on Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang - all major friction points with the US. Saudi Arabia is a long-standing US ally.
"China appreciates the strong support given by the Saudi side on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and fully respects Saudi sovereignty and firmly supports [its chosen] development path," he told Prince Khalid.
Khalid bin Salman has called for enhancing military ties to a higher level. Photo: Getty Images via AFP alt=Khalid bin Salman has called for enhancing military ties to a higher level. Photo: Getty Images via AFP>
The meeting comes at a time when China is stepping up its diplomatic offensive in the Middle East, a new arena in its great power rivalry with the US - as the once-dominant force in the region shows signs of retreat.
China is a key broker in talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which fell through after the US pulled out in 2018. The landmark multilateral accord offers Iran billions of dollars worth of sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
In the latest sign of Beijing's growing influence in the conflict-ravaged but resource-rich Middle East, Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier this month hosted his counterparts from the Persian Gulf nations of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general, in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi.