

Diplomatic Coup: China Brokers Iran-Saudi Rapprochement
China has rearranged the power balance in the Middle East, leaving the U.S. and its main regional ally, Israel, isolated.
China has rearranged the power balance in the Middle East, leaving the U.S. and its main regional ally, Israel, isolated.
The White House has warned that China’s attempts to exert its influence worldwide, as it has just done with what was traditionally a U.S. regional ally, were “not conducive” to the international order.
In a move that left the White House “disappointed,” OPEC+ announced a cut of its oil production by 2 million barrels a day, which amounts to 2% of global oil production. The political and economical fallout may have far-reaching consequences.
The meeting with Macron also contributes to a general rehabilitation of the Saudi Arabian government’s image in the West, following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen.
While some media sources claim that Russian exports to Asian markets have fallen, others point in the opposite direction.
The Centre seems to be part of Saudi Arabia’s attempted shift away from its historic alliance (and reliance) on Salafism. In this sense, the Centre and similar initiatives are an interesting index by which to judge the Arabian kingdom’s success.