During a stay at a royal guesthouse in Riyadh last year, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia heard Chinese classical music playing in the background, instead of the usual American pop tunes. "I was struck by that," says Chas Freeman, the ex-envoy. "It meant to me that there was something new, a bit of flirtation with China going on."

After a 14-day royal trip to Asia in late January - King Abdullah's first foray outside the region since he took over in August - Saudi Arabia's engagement with China appears to be going far beyond a flirtation.