Saudi Arabia’s recent mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan is widely seen as a strategic move by the kingdom as it seeks alternatives to its traditional security guarantees from the United States.
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However, it also poses a dilemma for China, which has strong relations with both countries, including a long-standing collaboration with Riyadh on its civilian nuclear programme.
Analysts suggested Beijing would not wish this nuclear partnership to develop further to avoid provoking the US or giving the impression it was encouraging nuclear proliferation.
When asked whether the pact would place Saudi Arabia under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella, a senior Saudi official replied that it would “encompass all military means”.
The deal comes amid growing Saudi unease over American security guarantees, particularly following Israel’s recent missile strikes targeting the Hamas leadership in Qatar, another key US ally in the Middle East.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since apologised to Qatar for the attack, but Sun Degang, director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, said the widespread belief that Israel had a “nuclear monopoly” in the region was fuelling concern.
Sun added that “as America shows reluctance to protect its ally [Qatar], it directly triggered Riyadh’s unease”.