Explainer | Why is Saudi Arabia looking to China to buy weapons after years of arms deals with the US?
- Chinese media reported Saudi Arabia bought US$4 billion weapons after the Zhuhai Air Show in November, a much bigger sale than previous deals
- The Yemen war, journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder and the Opec+ decision to cut oil output by 2 million barrels a day have affected US-Saudi defence deals
The arms trade between China and Saudi Arabia dates back to the late 1980s, after the two countries held their first official meetings in 1985. They officially established ties in 1990.
Here, we explain the types of weapons that Saudi Arabia has bought from both China and the US in the past, their uses, and Riyadh’s potential future interest in Chinese weapons.
What weapons does Saudi Arabia buy from China?
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia’s first known arms deal with China, and so far the only public missile purchase, was the DF-3 medium-range nuclear missiles it bought in 1986. Saudi Arabia bought 50 DF-3 missiles with conventional warheads.
Riyadh since bought 54 PLZ-45 self-propelled guns in 2007, five CH-4B drones in 2014 and more than 30 Wing Loong-1 and 2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2014 and 2017.
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The reported order at the Zhuhai Air Show also included a production line of TB001 UAVs, also a medium-altitude, long-endurance combat drone that the PLA started to use on patrols near Taiwan this year; YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missiles, a carrier-based hypersonic missile with combat range of over 2,000km (1,200 miles); and the “Silent Hunter” anti-drone laser-based systems.
Besides sales on the public record, China reportedly secretly sold DF-21 missiles to Riyadh in 2007, with the CIA’s approval after finding the missiles were not nuclear-capable. Some observers say that compared with the DF-3, the DF-21 is much more accurate and is sometimes called a “carrier killer”.
US intelligence revealed last year that China had been helping Riyadh develop its own ballistic missiles at a site west of Riyadh.
What weapons does Saudi Arabia buy from the US?
The US has been the biggest provider of arms to Saudi Arabia for years, and the weapons it provides include offensive and defensive weapons, and heavy weapons such as combat helicopters, missiles, frigates and guided bombs.
Some 280 air-to-air missiles with a value of US$650 million were also sold to Riyadh in 2021.
How has the US restricted arm sales to Saudi Arabia?
The US has continued sales of defensive weapons to Riyadh but has suspended sales of offensive weapons because of the Saudis’ actions in the Yemen war fought against Houthi forces since 2015. Former US president Barack Obama issued a similar suspension in 2016 after the war claimed massive civilian casualties.
What weapons might Saudi Arabia seek from China?
Zhou Chenming, a military analyst at the Beijing-based Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank said China would be cautious for fear of triggering a “regional arms race”.
He said Saudi Arabia could be interested in land-based equipment from China – such as tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery – which had proven capabilities according to Pakistani soldiers reporting in Saudi Arabia. Long-range rocket artillery could be an option too, according to Zhou.
Referring to the rumoured sale of China’s J-10 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, Zhou said it would be unlikely for at least the next few years while the Saudi Air Force was equipped with the US-made F-15 and F-16. He said the US might intervene to prevent such sales.
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China was also reportedly looking to sell its twin-engined FC-31 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The fifth-generation jets are often compared with US F-35 planes.