The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Saudi Arabia is considering a Chinese proposal to build a nuclear power plant in the Kingdom, a decision that could disrupt American plans in Saudi Arabia. The report cited informed Saudi officials stating that the China National Nuclear Corporation, a state-owned company, has submitted a bid to construct a nuclear facility in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, near the borders with Qatar and the UAE.
The corporation has not yet responded to a request from Reuters for a comment, nor have either foreign ministries of the involved countries replied to requests for commentary on the report. The Kingdom had previously sought cooperation from Washington to establish a civilian nuclear program on its territory as part of a potential agreement to normalize relations with Israel.
American officials have previously stated that participation in nuclear energy technology would be possible only if the agreement prohibits uranium enrichment or reprocessing of plutonium produced in reactors, both of which are pathways to producing nuclear weapons.
The newspaper added that Saudi officials acknowledged that discussing the matter with China serves as a means to urge the Biden administration to make concessions regarding non-proliferation requirements. They said they prefer to commission the state-owned Korea Electric Power Corporation of South Korea to build the plant’s reactors, utilizing American operational expertise but without agreeing to the non-proliferation controls typically demanded by Washington.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi officials indicated that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is ready to move forward with the Chinese company soon if talks with the United States fail. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Beijing will continue to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in civilian nuclear energy while adhering to international non-proliferation rules.
The Israeli Minister of Energy expressed opposition to the idea of Saudi Arabia developing a civilian nuclear program as part of any American endeavor concerning Saudi-Israeli relations. Israel has stated that it expects the U.S. to consult with it regarding any American-Saudi agreement that affects its security. It is widely believed that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and does not have nuclear power projects.
Saudi Arabia has strengthened relations with China over the past year, with China mediating the restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran in March. China and Saudi Arabia are deeply linked by extensive trade relations in energy, as China is the world's largest crude oil importer and the Kingdom is the largest exporter.
The state-run Chinese energy engineering company is constructing a 2.6 gigawatt solar power plant in Shuaiba in collaboration with the Saudi utility company ACWA Power, which is expected to become the largest solar energy project in the Middle East. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Kingdom last December, which the Chinese Foreign Ministry described as "a milestone in the history of the development of Chinese-Arab relations." Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia has sought to maintain a balance in its relationships with both China and the United States, with Washington remaining its most important security partner.
