Chinese and Saudi officials signed trade deals worth $10 billion on June 11, in the latest indication that China’s influence in the Arab nation is overtaking that of America.

The signing ceremonies occurred in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 10th Arab-China Business Conference, the largest ever Chinese-Arab trade gathering. The agreements involve a range of sectors, including automotive research, agriculture, health care, minerals, real estate, renewable energy, technology and tourism.

This raft of new deals builds on a record year of Chinese-Saudi trade, with the total volume in 2022 reaching $116 billion. This represents a 30 percent increase over 2021 and makes Chinese trade with the Saudis triple the size of America’s.

Speaking at the conference, Saudi officials said the world should expect the trend of increasing Chinese-Saudi trade to keep gaining momentum.

The time has come, in my view, for China to be a principal investment partner in the Arab world’s development drive.
—Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih

I would not be surprised if you will hear more announcements soon on Saudi-Chinese investment.
—Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who opened the meeting on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said: “The crown prince has continually amplified efforts to enhance the long-standing and advanced partnership between the Arab world and China in all sectors.”

Diplomacy: The thriving Chinese-Saudi trade relationship comes as China also takes on a more active role in Middle Eastern diplomacy. In March, the Chinese mediated a landmark agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reinstate diplomatic relations after a seven-year freeze. The fact that it was China that brokered the deal and not America, the Middle East’s longtime dominant outside actor, was seen as a blow to Washington and a key win for China.

Connecting China to Europe: China’s attempts to exert ever more influence in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East are motivated largely by a desire to rebuild the ancient Silk Road. The modern “Belt and Road Initiative” aims to rebuild the ancient trade route stretching from China to Europe by enhancing connectivity and transport infrastructure along the thousands of miles that lie between the two, including routes through the Middle East.

This globe-girdling project is resculpting the geopolitical landscape in profound ways and is leading to the fulfillment of the “mart of nations” prophecy warned about in Isaiah 23. This chapter foretells of a mighty trade alliance that China, Europe and other powers will form to the extreme detriment of the United States.

In our article “Comrade to All, Opponent to None?,” we wrote:

Anyone can also see that the groundwork being laid by the Belt and Road initiative—in the Middle East and beyond—is boosting China-Europe cooperation.

But what is not immediately apparent is that these developments are leading to the fulfillment of Bible prophecies. They are leading to biblically prophesied developments that have the potential to affect every man, woman and child alive.

Read more: “Comrade to All, Opponent to None?”