US-Saudi nuclear cooperation makes sense because of China, not just Israel

August 25, 2023 China bid for Saudi nuclear plant signals new competition, trend China is all in with its bid to build a Saudi nuclear power plant, the Wall Street Journal reports, increasing pressure on the Biden administration to loosen its own terms for nuclear cooperation with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia wants an expansive civil nuclear relationship with the United States as one of its “asks” for considering normalizing its relationship with Israel. The kingdom also seeks an iron clad security agreement with Washington, and access to even more advanced weapons. The United States is right to be in the…