ABSTRACT
The diplomatic communique signed by two countries' foreign ministers, Qian Qichen and Saudi Al Faisal, on 21 July 1990, states: The Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China (PRC) have decided to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries at the ambassadorial level as of 29 Thul Hijjah 1410 AH, corresponding to 21 July 1990 AD. There is a parallel between the embryonic Sino-Saudi relationship and the Saudi-US engagement. During 1940-60, security and energy occupied a special significance in the evolution of Saudi-US ties. Likewise, security and energy are the primary factors which have brought Riyadh and Beijing closer. In Mao's time, the PRC's policy towards the West Asia-North Africa (WANA) region, including the Gulf, was a part of Beijing's broad understanding of global historical development, which involved and affected China's own national interest. Relations between Saudi Arabia and the PRC started taking a new shape after the latter replaced Taiwan in United Nations.
