"China is offering to buy up to 5 percent of Saudi Aramco directly, sources said, a move that could give Saudi Arabia the flexibility to consider various options for its plan to float the world's biggest oil producer on the stock market," Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The deal, if it came to pass, would deepen the energy ties between Saudi Arabia and China, the world's second-largest oil consuming nation after the U.S.
Amazon is following the likes of oil, pharmaceutical, and other large tech companies and enhancing its D.C. lobbying offensive, the NYT Cecilia Kang reports. This comes as the giant is "[f]acing greater skepticism about its growing power over retail, including from President Trump," Kang writes, which raises questions about competition.
Why it matters: "This year, Amazon has increased its lobbying staff to 83 members from 60, making it one of the biggest corporate lobbying shops in town… Before last year, the company relied on a no-frills operation for more than a decade."
