The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) established official diplomatic relations on 21 July 1990.
Prior to the 1990s, bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the PRC did not exist. In 1975, Saudi Arabia refused to recognize the PRC as a country, despite the PRC's desire to establish relations and acceptance of Saudi Arabian policies. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the countries have had an increasingly warm diplomatic relationship.
China and Saudi Arabia have been increasing cooperation in the energy and financial sectors, the Belt and Road Initiative, and has signed numerous deals across several areas. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman also hinted that China could boost its diplomatic footprint in the Middle East, while stating that "Saudi Arabia is willing to work hard with China to promote global and regional peace, security and prosperity". It is said that "oil is the backbone of the relationship", while Saudi Arabia has long relied on China for arms sales, including weapons the former could not acquire from anywhere.Harsh V. Pant. (September (2006)). Saudi Arabia Woos China and India. Middle East Quarterly 13(4) : 45-52.
History
The Mamluk Sultan based in Cairo ordered Jidda to treat Chinese traders honorably upon their arrival in the early 15th century.
Zheng He's Treasure voyages sent some men to Mecca and Medina.
The first China-Saudi official meeting took place in Oman in November 1985, following several years of heightened contact between the two countries.Yetiv, Steve A., and Lu Chunling. (2007). "China, Global Energy, And The Middle East." Middle East Journal 61(2): 200-218. According to Andrew Small, Pakistan facilitated secret military negotiations between Saudi Arabia and China in 1985. As a result, Saudi Arabia secretly purchased 50 Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missiles, due to heightened concerns about Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. As of 1989, Saudi Arabia was the only Arab country that still had not established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China as Saudi Arabia maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan.T.Y. Wang. (1993). "Competing For Friendship: The Two Chinas And Saudi Arabia." Arab Studies Quarterly 15(3): 63. After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 occurred in Beijing in June of that year, Saudi relations with the PRC were upgraded. Despite the event, Saudi Arabia did not provide any criticism of the Chinese government's response. In fact, in August 1989, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry official presented his credentials to the PRC's foreign minister. Less than a year later on 21 July 1990, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, paid a visit to Beijing with an agreement to establish diplomatic relations. Nawaf E. Obaid, Amy Jaffe, Edward L. Morse, Chady A few days later, diplomatic relations were established in Riyadh. At this point, Saudi Arabia ended over forty years of diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Saudi Arabia was the largest aid donor to China, providing close to €40,000,000 in financial assistance, and an additional €8,000,000 worth of relief materials."Chinese president arrives in Riyadh at start of 'trip of friendship, cooperation'", Xinhua, February 10, 2009 Chinese companies in Saudi Arabia have awarded scholarships to Saudi students allowing them to study abroad in China. The Chinese government is also offering scholarships directly to students and professionals for further training.
In 2016, China and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic partnership.
In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Saudi Arabia, have signed a joint letter to the UNHRC defending China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang region. In June 2020, Saudi Arabia was one of 53 countries that backed the Hong Kong national security law at the United Nations.
In December 2022, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping and his administration intensified relations with Saudi Arabia to improve its energy access as a result of global uncertainties.
On 10 March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic ties cut in 2016 after a deal brokered between the two countries by China following secret talks in Beijing.
A 2025 academic review highlights that China's diplomatic approach to Saudi Arabia is emblematic of its broader strategy in the Middle East—favoring ambiguity, adaptability, and infrastructure-driven influence over military commitments. The review emphasizes China's ability to maintain close ties with Riyadh while avoiding regional entanglements, characterizing the relationship as transactional and pragmatic. According to the review, this mode of engagement enables China to expand its presence through selective diplomacy and energy cooperation while preserving its image as a neutral actor.
Bilateral visits The first diplomatic visit between Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China occurred in 1999, when the CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin visited Riyadh, which resulted in the mutual signing of the 1999 Strategic Oil Cooperation agreement. The agreement stipulated that the PRC would open its oil refinery sector to Saudi Arabia if Saudi Arabia would allow for exploration and development opportunities for Chinese investors.Henry Lee and Dan A. Shalmon. (2007). Searching For Oil: China's Oil Initiatives in the Middle East. China's Foreign Policy in the Arab World, 1955-75. Boston: Harvard University. While the agreement acted as a starting point for bilateral relations, the results of the agreement were small, as China was not able to use most of the sour crude oil provided by Saudi Arabia's new reserves in Chinese refining facilities.Ben Simfendorfer. (2009). The New Silk Road: How a Rising Arab World is Turning Away from the West and Rediscovering China. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Print.
China-Saudi diplomatic and economic relations grew closer in the 2000s. In 2004, the People's Republic of China and Saudi Arabia initiated a series of regular political meetings. During the same year, Sinopec, China's state-run oil company, signed an agreement to explore gas in the Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) in Saudi Arabia. Then, in December 2005, the People's Republic of China and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) held their first set of formal talks.
In January 2006, King Abdullah visited China as his first foreign visit after being enthroned. While in China, King Abdullah signed five major agreements on energy cooperation. The visit was also used as a way to discuss broader economic trade, taxation and technical accords, a vocational training agreement, as well as to finalize an urban development loan for the Saudi Arabian Development Bank in China's Xinjiang province."China, Saudi Arabia Forge Closer Relationship," China Daily (Beijing), 24 January 2006. CCP general secretary Hu Jintao exclaimed that this bilateral cooperation would "write a new chapter of friendly cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in the new century."Quoted in "China and Saudi Arabia Sign Historic Energy Deal," Taipei Times, January 24, 2006, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2006/01/24/2003290537. His visit was reciprocated by Chinese leader Hu Jintao later that year. Hu Jintao was only the second foreign leader in history who was granted permission to address Saudi Arabia's legislative council. During this time, the two leaders supposedly signed several agreements regarding further energy exploration and security collaboration.Alfred B. Prados and Christopher M. Blanchard. (2006). Congressional Research Service. Washington D.C.: Congressional Research Service. It is said that Saudi Arabia views economic ties with the PRC in a favorable light because they come with "no strings attached" and focus on economic issues rather than political ones."Avoiding Political Talk, Saudis and Chinese Build Trade," The New York Times, 23 April 2006. His only mention of non-economical related affairs was, "war and military force is never a permanent solution to a problem," advising to "persist with a just and fair handling of conflicts and bridging of differences through political means." He did not touch upon democracy or human rights.
In February 2009, Hu visited Saudi Arabia a second time, to "exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern" with King Abdullah. "Chinese president arrives in Riyadh at start of 'trip of friendship, cooperation'"], Xinhua, February 10, 2009
In February 2019, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, made a visit to China where he met the Chinese leader and a number of high officials. Along with CCP general secretary Xi Jinping, the crown prince met Chinese premier Li Keqiang, minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi and others where they agreed in boosting the already-strong commercial ties between the two parties. As both the parties have their own long-run strategic plan, China's Belt and Road and Saudi's Vision 2030, they both expressed willingness to collaborate in the implementation of the said strategies. The two parties signed a cooperation agreement to enhance researches and studies in the maritime transport industry. The Saudi crown prince agreed to allocate $10 billion to establish a refining and petrochemical complex in China. Other cooperation agreements signed during the visit including economic sectors such as renewable energy and AI. Mohammad bin Salman also expressed Saudi Arabia's support for China's "right to take anti-terrorism and deradialisation measures to safeguard national security". In the sideline of the visit, the Saudi Crown Prince announced Saudi Arabia's willingness to teach the Chinese language in the Saudi's schools and universities.
Between 7 and 10 December 2022, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met king Salman, and crown prince and prime minister Mohammed bin Salman. He also met with numerous Arab leaders, including members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. During the meeting, he signed numerous commercial deals with Saudi Arabia and formally elevated the relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership, highest level in China's formal ranking of relations with other countries.
Trade and investment