The crown prince’s historic visit to the US this week crowned these bilateral relations, elevating Saudi Arabia to the status of a major non-NATO ally and a trusted strategic partner.
While China has warned of serious consequences and may impose sanctions, the US frames the sale as a necessary sustainment measure for existing aircraft rather than an escalation.
Since Latin America has been extremely dependent on the U.S., a change in the power relations between the U.S. and China will also be felt strongest there.