China in the Middle East
Vol. 2. No. 20. May 27, 2023
From S.R.
When a country discloses a program, it usually means that the effort was well underway. That describes the Saudi announcement that China was discussing nuclear cooperation with Riyad. The key element of the cooperation will be training. Stay tuned.
He said. She said.
"[They would] discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of peaceful use of atomic energy and nuclear technology."
Saudi Arabia's news agency announces a four-day visit by a delegation from the Chinese Atomic Energy.
Focus
It's Already Begun
China has unveiled its nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
On May 8, a delegation from the China Atomic Energy Authority held talks in the Saudi city of Jedda on cooperation with the Saudi Geological Survey, headed by Abdullah Al Shamrani. The Chinese delegation was led by vice chairman Liu Jing and spent four days in discussions that included officials from the kingdom's Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission.
So far, SGS has been working with China on uranium exploration in Saudi Arabia. But now the focus of the talks was said to have been nuclear technology, a key strategic goal of Riyad.
A report carried by the official Saudi Press Agency marked the first time Riyad disclosed nuclear technology aid from Beijing. The cooperation was portrayed as strictly civilian and could include what was termed "partnerships."
"It is noteworthy that the four-day visit of the Chinese Atomic Energy delegation comes as part of the meetings with officials of the Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission and the Saudi Geological Survey to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of peaceful use of atomic energy and nuclear technology," SPA said.
The meeting was also the first since Beijing and Riyad signed a wide-ranging strategic cooperation accord in late 2022, meant to include both dual-use and military areas. The Saudis have long sought to match Iran's nuclear program, also presented as civilian.
“The meeting reviewed a number of projects related to geological sciences and the National Geological Database, and the capabilities and experience of the two parties, which guarantees quality outputs of joint work," SPA said.
The Saudi track resembles the start of Iran's nuclear program. In the 1990s, Teheran was said to have received help from Russia in such areas as uranium mining and completing the construction of its first nuclear reactor, begun by West Germany in the mid-1970s.
Like the Iranians, the Saudis need training more than anything else. Here, the kingdom is at a major disadvantage in that it lacks professional personnel, whether scientists, engineers and technicians. In other words, the Saudis will have to start from scratch.
That's where China comes in. Beijing has the experience in working with Arabs and Africans with few skills in modern technology. The Chinese have made significant headway despite a huge language and cultural barrier.
There's not enough time for any more than a handful of Chinese trainers to learn Arabic. Instead, the Chinese method has been based on rote. Trainers are expected to take the Saudis through a process countless times until their students get it. At a later stage, the Saudis might understand what they're doing.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman had options other than the Chinese. They included Moscow, Pakistan and even France. He could have even brought in its chief ally, the United Arab Emirates, into the picture. Abu Dhabi has been developing a nuclear energy program with the help of the West, including the United States.
For several decades, Pakistan, a key ally of China, was used to funnel missile and nuclear assets to Saudi Arabia. But the Pakistanis have not been regarded as reliable, and their training has been ineffective.
What Bin Salman seeks is an independent nuclear program that will open the door to military applications. He wants the Saudis to replace the Pakistanis and other foreign nationals in sensitive military and dual-use programs.
The crown prince also believes that Beijing would keep any nuclear program secret. As he sees it, his selection of China would rattle the Iranians, who have achieved a nuclear monopoly in the Gulf.
The Chinese visit has been downplayed as routine. The SPA report was drafted in line with Riyad's stated policy that nuclear energy would ease the kingdom's dependency on fossil fuel.
"The Chinese delegation also paid a field visit to the drilling library to view the mechanism and digitization of core drilling samples, as well as colored spectral images of mineral components," SPA said.
Ticker Tape
...Can China's relationship with Morocco get better? A leading Chinese legislator says yes during a tour of the North African kingdom in mid-May. Zhao Leji asserted that Beijing and Rabat have risen by "leaps and bounds and are in its best shape ever." He said a key avenue was promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. The Moroccan hosts agreed and expressed the hope that China would expand investment, trade and exchanges. During his visit, Zhao toured CITIC Dicastal, a Chinese auto parts manufacturer in Morocco.
...China plans to host another summit with the Arab world. The sixth edition of the China-Arab States Expo will take place in Yinchuan, Ningxia on Sept. 21-24 and focus on opportunities between the two sides. On May 21, representatives held a promotional event in Riyad and stressed the need for trade as well as communications. A Chinese official said Beijing wants to address five priorities in relations -- including energy, technology and agriculture -- with Gulf Arab states.
...Still, nobody is waiting until September. On May 18, the United Arab Emirates hosted the China-Arab Entrepreneurs Summit, meant to establish avenues of cooperation and communications. The summit contained more than 100 senior Chinese representatives, including diplomats, provincial chiefs and executives. The event was dominated by UAE and Saudi Arabia in discussions of strategy. There are some 7,800 Chinese companies in the UAE emirate of Dubai.
...A key project in Egypt is being presented as a model for China's BRI. Chinese and Egyptian engineers are overcoming language and cultural issues to complete the Alamein Downtown Towers Project in New Alamein City. The Egyptians have been trained and mentored by Chinese specialists to adopt modern construction methods. The biggest challenge has been the 300- and 200-meter towers, constructed by China State Construction Engineering Corp. So far, Alamein has brought together 2,700 Chinese and Egyptian workers, with each Egyptian mentored by a Chinese staffer. Over the past few months, some of the Chinese have learned enough Arabic for basic communication.
...China Energy has intensified activity in Egypt's Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Economic Zone says it has reached a comprehensive collaboration framework with China Energy to establish a green hydrogen complex. Previously, the two sides operated through a memorandum of understanding that included the Sovereign Fund of Egypt for Investment and Development, Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority, and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. The zone has served as a means to promote exports to Europe and Africa.