John Calabrese

Assistant Professor of Global and Immersive Studies, American University

John Calabrese is Assistant Professor of Global and Immersive Studies at American University in Washington, DC. He is also a senior scholar at the Middle East Institute (MEI) where he directs MEI's project on The Middle East and Asia (MAP) and serves as the book review editor of The Middle East Journal. In addition, Dr Calabrese is the author of China's Changing Relations with the Middle East (1991) and Revolutionary Horizons: Regional Foreign Policy in Post-Khomeini Iran (1994) and has edited various books and written numerous articles on the international relations of the Middle East, especially on the cross-regional ties between the Middle East and Asia. His research interests focus on international relations of the Middle East, particularly on the growing interdependence between the Gulf countries and South/East Asia.

This handout picture released by the Saudi Press Agency SPA shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the China-Arab Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on 9 December 2022. (SPA/AFP)

Symbiosis: China the leading customer and Saudi Arabia the vital oil supplier

Energy security and ensuring that oil and gas retain a significant share of the global energy mix for some time to come are strong ties that bind China-Saudi Arabia relations. Coupled with collaborative opportunities in growth areas such as renewable energy and electricity generation, their partnership seems to be going from strength to strength.