Vladimir Putin was a guest of Xi Jinping shortly after Donald Trump.Image: keystone
analysis
The two heads of state celebrated their friendship at their meeting in Beijing. But increasingly one side is dictating the terms.
May 21, 2026, 04:57May 21, 2026, 04:57
Fabian Kretschmer, Seoul / ch media
As an observer you had to rub your eyes twice, the reception seemed too much like a flashback: Where Donald Trump’s Air Force One landed a few days ago, Vladimir Putin now stepped out of his Ilyushin plane. Both heads of state were greeted by flag-waving students, under the watchful eyes of Chinese soldiers. Only instead of Vice Premier Han Zheng, Wang Yi, Foreign Minister and right-hand man of President Xi Jinping, was available to shake hands with the Russian President at the airport.
These points were particularly noticeable around the meeting between Xi and Putin:
Xi is portraying Beijing as the new power center of world politics
China’s diplomatic rise is impressive: the major powers are currently joining forces in Beijing. So now Xi Jinping welcomes his “old friend” Putin in front of the Great Hall of the People. The two have met over 40 times and China has been Russia’s most important trading partner for 16 years.
The first comments were accordingly warm. Vladimir Putin praised the bilateral relations, which had reached an “unprecedentedly high level,” as the “most important stabilizing factor on the international stage.” Xi Jinping, on the other hand, expressed himself more soberly: In view of an international situation characterized by unrest, China and Russia must advance their comprehensive strategic cooperation.
Putin and Xi in the Great Hall of the People.Image: keystone
The central message that China wants to trumpet to the world public had only indirectly to do with Russia: Beijing, according to the narrative of the Chinese state media, is the new core center of international diplomacy. The emerging world power has stepped up to fill the vacuum left on the global stage by the USA under Donald Trump.
Beijing lets Putin continue to be killed in Ukraine – and supports him in doing so
From a European perspective, however, there is little hope that China’s leaders could use their power to pressure Russia to end the Ukraine war. Although Xi said that a comprehensive ceasefire and negotiations were urgently needed, he was referring to the Middle East conflict.
The Chinese leadership has not yet publicly criticized Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but has only referred to Russia’s “legitimate security interests.” At the same time, Beijing supports the Russian war industry by supplying the country with so-called “dual-use” goods.
Xi wants to weaken the West
The indirect support is not based on ideological conviction, but rather on pragmatic calculation: Xi Jinping wants to weaken the political West – and tie up the resources of arch-rival Washington. In this respect, the war in Ukraine is useful for China’s leadership, even if this conflict was neither initiated nor originally wanted.
Big reception for the Kremlin boss in Beijing.Image: keystone
«I think from a Western perspective, this kind of good relationship is really unpleasant. But put yourself in the shoes of China and Russia – then it seems completely self-evident,” says Zhou Bo, retired general of the People’s Liberation Army, on Chinese state television:
“After all, these are the biggest neighbors in the world.”
However, domestic resentment over Putin’s ongoing war may be rising. A report in the Financial Times caused considerable unrest at the beginning of the week. Xi is said to have told Trump during their “candid” talks in Beijing that Vladimir Putin “might still regret” his invasion of Ukraine. The FT cited several sources from US government circles. However, the Chinese Foreign Office categorically denied the report.
China is increasingly dictating the terms
It is not yet possible to conclusively judge whether Putin’s summit meeting in Beijing can be considered a success. The two heads of state have signed more than 20 agreements in the areas of trade and technology as well as a declaration on a “multipolar world order”. But there is still no news about Russia’s core concern – the construction of a second “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline.
The infrastructure project, which has been pushed forward by Russia for years, reveals the new balance of power between the two neighboring states: Beijing does not want to become too dependent on an “old friend” in terms of energy policy. And the current position of strength is also being exploited to push down the prices for raw material supplies even further. (aargauerzeitung.ch)