Saudi Arabia is considering a Chinese bid to build it a nuclear power plant, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, a decision that could derail US plans in the kingdom.
China National Nuclear Corp, a state-owned company known as CNNC, has bid to build a nuclear plant in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, near the border with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the newspaper reported, citing Saudi officials familiar with the matter.
The foreign ministries of both China and Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment on the report.
Saudi Arabia has previously sought US cooperation in establishing a civilian nuclear programme on its soil as part of a possible normalisation deal with Israel.
US officials have said in the past they would share nuclear power technology only if the agreement prevents enrichment of uranium or reprocessing of plutonium made in reactors – two routes to making nuclear weapons.
The Saudi officials said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was prepared to move ahead with the Chinese company soon if talks with the US failed, the WSJ said.
China would continue to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in civil nuclear energy while abiding by international non-proliferation rules, the newspaper cited China’s foreign ministry as saying.
Saudi Arabia has built closer relations with China over the past year. In March, China brokered a resumption of ties between Saudi Arabia and its arch-regional foe Iran.
