Riyadh: A US newspaper has reported that, restless over the US not responding to its demand for a nuclear power project, Saudi Arabia is now preparing to seek assistance from China. The newspaper has also claimed that Saudi Arabia is in talks with China about the civil nuclear power project. Besides, the newspaper has said that in Saudi’s opinion, talking to China will increase the pressure on the United States, and the Biden administration will consider their demand.

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Moreover, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) had proposed setting up a civil nuclear power plant for Saudi. The US newspaper has said that Saudi is seriously considering this proposal and is preparing to build it in the area close to the border of Qatar and UAE. In addition, the US newspaper mentioned that in Saudi Arabia’s opinion, given their initiative, the US will now approve Saudi’s civil nuclear project. In an interview with a US magazine, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer indicated that Israel would not oppose Saudi’s proposal for a nuclear project.

‘Furthermore, Saudi can also start a civil nuclear power project like other countries. It would not be possible to oppose it for long,’ Dermer had said. However, Dermer had also warned that Saudi would have to accept the US option, not China’s, for this nuclear project. A week after his statement, it came to the fore that Saudi Arabia was busy negotiating with China for this project. It is not just a coincidence but seems to be a move to put pressure on the US.

However, the US Biden administration and Israel’s opposition leaders have also not approved the Saudi nuclear power plant plan. The Biden administration has not made a clear statement on this. Nonetheless, considering the current tension between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia, the project is unlikely to be approved by the Biden administration. Meanwhile, challenging the hegemony of the US and the Western countries, Saudi Arabia has also gained membership in the BRICS organisation. Nonetheless, the Saudi government seems to be provoking the US again by preparing to set up a nuclear power project with China, to which the US may respond. Also, Israeli Minister Ron Dermer has explicitly indicated that Israel can take a tough stance against this Saudi-China nuclear cooperation.

Besides rejecting international pressure, Saudi Arabia sharply reacted after Iran started the nuclear plant. They said that though Iran claims this country’s nuclear projects are for civilian purposes, they are for military purposes. Moreover, Iran is pretending that its nuclear project is made for civil energy and is making nuclear bombs instead. Also, Saudi Arabia will not lag if Iran acquires a nuclear bomb. Saudi had also threatened that it would make a nuclear bomb. In addition, there were claims that Saudi Arabia is working on this plan. Against this backdrop, the United States is closely watching Saudi Arabia’s demand for civil nuclear energy. However, adopting a moderate stance on Iran’s nuclear project may make it difficult for the Biden administration to decide against Saudi’s demand. Thus, the Biden administration has not yet made a statement on the issue.