Pakistan’s New Deal With Saudi Arabia Raises China’s Tension: In a notable development, Pakistan has recently inked a key defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. Under this agreement, an attack on one of the two countries will be considered an attack on both countries. This major defence deal is seen as a strategic move by Saudi Arabia , as the Middle Eastern country is looking for alternatives to traditional security guarantees from the United States. This agreement has raised China’s concerns as it has strong bilateral ties with Islamabad and Riyadh , both , which also include a civilian nuclear program with Saudi.

Is The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Defence Agreement Good Or Bad News For China?

According to a report by the South China Morning Post citing John Calabrese, a non-resident senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, this agreement could allow Beijing to enhance its nuclear capabilities.

“China’s historical cooperation with Saudi Arabia on civilian nuclear projects and uranium exploration offers a potential path to deeper engagement,” John Calabrese said.

How Deep Are China-Saudi Relations?

To understand this we have to go back to 2020 when Riyadh denied reports that it was involved in a uranium production project in China. However, the Middle Eastern country reportedly accepted to jointly work with Beijing in certain aspects of uranium exploration. After three yeas, in 2023, the Middle Eastern country shocked everyone by considering a bid from the Dragon to develop a nuclear power plant.

In 2017, China and Saudi Arabia entered into an contract for collaboration on uranium and thorium resources, including joint efforts to extract uranium from seawater.

In April 2025, both countries signed an additional memorandum of understanding (MoU) which aims on nuclear energy safety.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign defence pact, under which attack on one will consider attack on both.
• Deal seen as Saudi shift from US security reliance.
• This raises China’s concerns due to its nuclear ties with both nations.
• Experts warn pact could fuel nuclear race, invite backlash for Beijing.

What Is China’s Dilemma And What’s Experts Take On It?

According to Wen Shaobiao, a Middle East expert at Shanghai International Studies University, China is trying to project itself in the West Asian security landscape as a stabilizer not a source of tension.

“I believe Beijing will play no role in intensifying the regional nuclear arms race,” he said.

As per Jesse Marks, director of the Washington-based consultancy Rihla Research & Advisory, “This is unlikely to happen. If the Beijing-Pakistan mechanism becomes the cornerstone of Saudi nuclearisation, Beijing could face opposition from its own SCO members, including India(BHARAT) and Iran.”

Marks says this could trigger widespread international backlash and criticism of China.