Saudi Arabia’s pivot toward China ultimately complements U.S. efforts to contain Iran and, despite how it may appear at first glance, does not seriously undermine American interests. This may help explain the Biden administration’s muted response to the Saudi-China strategic partnership.

Ahmed Alqarout is a London-based expert in international political economy. His research focuses on the impact of financial and economic policies on global and regional stability with a special focus on the Middle East and Africa.

Ali Ahmadi is a scholar of sanctions and geoeconomics. He is currently an Executive Fellow at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) and a Research Fellow at the Brussels-based Vocal Europe foreign policy think tank. You can follow him on Twitter and Linkedin.

Image: Shutterstock.