Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to Saudi Arabia highlights the two countries' deepening economic, defense, cultural and educational ties, which could grant both sides greater freedom in foreign policy as Riyadh and Beijing each look for ways to withstand U.S. pressure. On Dec. 8, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia to kick off what he called ''a new era'' in Saudi-Chinese relations, which have been deepening since China began economic reforms in the 1980s. During the visit, Xi and Saudi King Salman signed a ''comprehensive strategic partnership agreement'' in which the two heads of state committed to holding biannual meetings and increasing their countries' cultural and tourism ties. The meeting yielded various deals to increase cooperation in fields spanning technology, education, energy and economic development as well. Xi also participated in a China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on Dec. 9, where he pledged to use...
