19
August 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | Saudi Arabia’s China Option

Virtual Event | Saudi Arabia’s China Option

Past Event
Online Only
August 19, 2022
President Joe Biden  takes part in a working session with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al Salam Royal Palace in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on July 15, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Caption
President Joe Biden takes part in a working session with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al Salam Royal Palace in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on July 15, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
19
August 2022
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Mohammed Alyahya

Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Bernard Haykel Hudson Institute
Bernard Haykel

Former Senior Fellow (Nonresident), Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East

michael_doran
Michael Doran

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East

Chinese President Xi Jinping may soon visit Riyadh. Talk of this possible trip comes a month after President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia and as seasoned observers of international relations wonder about the health of US-Saudi relations. For its part, Beijing sees tension between Washington and Riyadh as China’s opportunity. China is already Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, but as Riyadh focuses on diversifying its economy, Beijing sees new avenues to expand trade relations. These include military avenues. The Biden administration’s efforts to court Iran have deeply frustrated leaders in Riyadh, who have hedged toward Beijing by, among other things, buying arms and equipment and working together on nuclear power.

Please join Hudson Institute for a discussion on how far Chinese-Saudi cooperation can go. Panelists will consider whether Saudi Arabia truly has a China option, how worried the US should be, and how the US should respond.

This event will air publicly on this page on Friday, August 19, at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Related Events
14
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Somaliland as a Strategic Partner in the Horn of Africa
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ("Irro")
Somaliland President
14
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Somaliland as a Strategic Partner in the Horn of Africa

In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman “Irro” Mohamed Abdullahi will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.
 

Somaliland President
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ("Irro")
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Contested Lebanon: Israel, Iran, and US Strategy in a Fractured State
Featured Speakers:
Ludovic Hood
Hagar Chemali
Joel Rayburn
Hussain Abdul Hussain
Rubio
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Contested Lebanon: Israel, Iran, and US Strategy in a Fractured State

Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israeli-Lebanese relations.

Rubio
Featured Speakers:
Ludovic Hood
Hagar Chemali
Joel Rayburn
Hussain Abdul Hussain
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Senator Pete Ricketts on the Next Phase of Competition with China
Featured Speakers:
Joel Scanlon
Pete Ricketts
Ricketts
15
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Senator Pete Ricketts on the Next Phase of Competition with China

Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.  

Ricketts
Featured Speakers:
Joel Scanlon
Pete Ricketts
16
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition
Featured Speakers:
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir
Daniel Kochis
a
16
September 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.

a
Featured Speakers:
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir
Daniel Kochis