Saudi Arabia, China conduct Blue Sword-2023 joint naval training

Naval

03 October 2023

By: Robert Dougherty

The guided-missile destroyer Shaoxing attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the PLA Eastern Theater Command fires its close-in weapons system during a maritime training exercise on August 21,2023. Photo: chinamil/Wen Zidong.

Saudi Arabia and the People’s Republic of China will cooperate in “Blue Sword-2023” joint naval special operations training this month.

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The joint training, only the second time Chinese and Saudi navies have collaborated, is announced to cover overseas maritime counterterrorism operations, sniping tactic, boat driving, fast roping, and joint rescue in Zhanjiang, southern China.

The training is reportedly designed to deepen friendly relations between the two militaries and improve the troop real-combat training levels.

Saudi Arabia is moving towards a strategic geopolitical realignment as it diversifies relations from the United States of America as its most dominant partner, to the PRC.

This change can be witnessed in Saudi Arabia’s cabinet endorsing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a dialogue partner in 2023 and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to China in 2019, which resulted in the signing of 35 economic cooperation agreements.

Recent diplomatic successes mediated by China have also led Saudi Arabia to resume relations with Iran this year and the reopening of a Syrian embassy in the country earlier this month.