The Dangerous Game of Saudi-China Relations.

China is stepping up its influence in the Middle East, with recent developments including brokering a deal for Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic ties and Saudi Aramco's investment in China's petrochemical industry. This is part of China's effort to become a global power and forge a new world order, with the United States stepping back from the region. However, opponents of Middle East engagement argue that the US can rely on North American petroleum production and transition to carbon-neutral energy. The authors argue that continued American engagement in the Middle East is necessary to counter an increasingly assertive and aggressive China, which could breed even greater instability in the region with global implications.