The four-nation Asia tour that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah begins today with a visit to China, then to India, Malaysia and Pakistan, is of great importance. It is significant that the first international trip by the king since ascending the throne is not to the US or Europe, the Kingdom’s long-standing strategic allies. Of course, it would be wrong to read into that a change in Saudi foreign policy; Saudi Arabia is not turning is back on its existing allies in the West. Rather, the tour represents a widening of Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical vision, a reaching out to additional, potential strategic partners.
This is not a one-superpower world any more. It is a multipolar world. India and China are political superpowers in the making that already have to be contended with. And as far as business goes, they are very much as much commercial giants as the US or Europe. They and other countries in Asia are already important trading partners for the Kingdom, both as suppliers of goods and buyers of oil — and the level of trade is bound to expand as their economies expand. They will sell us more goods, more services, but want more oil. Already India and China rely heavily on Saudi supplies. Twenty-six percent of India’s oil requirements are met by the Kingdom, fourteen percent of China’s — and those figures will increase.
Some official businesses will be discussed and perhaps agreements signed during the king’s four visits, possibly the plan for a Saudi oil base in south China to cover the entire East Asia market; an agreement on easing mutual Saudi-Indian investment is certainly expected in Delhi, where the king will be guest of honor at the Republic Day celebrations. State visits are not, however, about signing contracts or negotiating deals. They do not usually mark a new era in economic or political relationships. They are about cementing and celebrating what is already there. They are a confirmation of existing friendly ties. Nonetheless, they are also an impetus for new bilateral initiatives as well as a green light to the private sectors in the respective countries that they should be doing business together. What the king’s tour will do is act as a spur to future bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and the four.
This tour is also about political relations. Saudi Arabia already has strong, deep-rooted bonds with Pakistan and Malaysia. Ties with India and China are also good, but they are relatively young in comparison. This trip will help entrench them. And, like all relationships, it is a two-way process. It is not just Saudi Arabia that wants its relations with the two Asian giants to be close and on best terms; they too see Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner. Their continued economic growth, indeed their political stability, depends on assured energy supplies and stable prices. The king’s visit sets a seal on a new strategic relationship across Asia, one that is centered on growth and stability.
It can be said, therefore, with complete confidence, that it is going to be a great success, to the mutual benefits of all countries involved.
