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The Saudi pivot to Asia

The visit of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to China this week is also a signal to Washington.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) and Japan's Emperor Akihito talk during a luncheon at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo February 19, 2014, in this handout photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.   REUTERS/Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via Reuters (JAPAN - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS) 

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY A

Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud’s visit this week to China — his second major state trip this year to Asia — underscores the kingdom’s pivot to the east. Long before the American pivot, Saudi Arabia has reoriented its economic and political priorities to South and East Asia.

Salman arrived in Beijing on March 13 for his first visit to China. Last month, the crown prince visited Pakistan, Japan, India and the Maldives. The two state visits symbolize the kingdom’s growing role in the economies of all five states. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, now sells more than two-thirds of it oil to markets in south and east Asia. Saudi trade and investment are increasingly directed toward Asian markets rather than Europe or America.

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