Christopher Vassallo is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cambridge and an affiliated researcher on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society’s Center for China Analysis. He was previously an associate at Blackstone, where he produced original analysis on geopolitical and macroeconomic issues related to China. He has served as a researcher at the Harvard Belfer Center and Asia Society Policy Institute, and his work has been published by The Marathon Initiative, The Diplomat, The US-China Perception Monitor, and The National Interest. Christopher holds a B.A. in History magna cum laude from Harvard University and a M.A. in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University, where he studied as a Schwarzman Scholar.

Last Updated: October 27, 2023

Viewpoint

11.07.23

China-Saudi RMB Settlement Will Insulate the Oil Trade from U.S. Sanctions

Christopher Vassallo
In recent years, Beijing has made efforts to facilitate the settlement of China-Saudi oil trade in renminbi (RMB) rather than in U.S. dollars, a move that would steel China’s trade from financial sanctions and disrupt the global market for oil.