Saudi Arabia Looks East for Nuclear Solutions
Right now, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is considering a Chinese bid to build a nuclear power plant in the Kingdom. He’s deadly serious about this, as are the Chinese. But according to the Wall Street Journal, he is sending a clear signal to Washington that unless they drop their non-proliferation stance, he will take any American proposal to construct the power plant off the table.
The Biden administration wants the Kingdom to neither mine Uranium nor enrich it. The MBS administration would prefer not to be dictated to, frankly. The Chinese are placing no such restrictions on the Saudis.
It’s a fascinating scenario. Saudi Arabia is America’s biggest weapons customer. China is the Kingdom’s biggest oil customer. America also wants some sort of diplomatic normalization in Saudi/Israeli relations – another condition of civil nuclear assistance. China doesn’t give a damn about the status of this relationship, it just wants greater influence in the region.
The Kingdom’s been Busy
The Kingdom has been dominating the headlines in the last few days. Just today, the Crown Prince announced a plan to turn the country in a global logistics tech hub. At the end of last week, it was announced from the BRICS conference in Johannesburg that Saudi Arabia has been invited to join the economic alliance.
And now MBS is weighing up a nuclear courtship with east and west. But also right now, Saudi Arabia looks east for nuclear solutions.
In a show of character that typifies just why he is so loved by his people, he’s going to make a decision in the best interests of his country, not the foreign policies of the east or west.
Interesting days lie ahead. As Saudi Arabia looks east for nuclear solutions, Joe Biden cannot afford an ally to turn its back on him. Not while there’s a political storm brewing over the coming election. China’s hegemonistic appetite, meanwhile, is voracious and unrelenting.
And right in the middle is a country that, although few will admit it, is probably making bigger strides in sustainability than the rest of the world combined.
You tell me what’s more important.
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