Putin to Meet Xi in Beijing After May 14-15 China-U.S. Summit
Updated
Updated · The Diplomat · May 14
Putin to Meet Xi in Beijing After May 14-15 China-U.S. Summit
10 articles · Updated · The Diplomat · May 14
Putin is expected in Beijing soon after Xi’s May 14-15 summit with Trump, setting up back-to-back meetings that test whether U.S. triangular diplomacy can loosen China-Russia alignment.
The report says that is unlikely: Xi is not expected to press Moscow over Iran or Ukraine, even as Washington has urged China to use its leverage with Russia on both wars.
Iran sharpens the contrast. Russia benefits from higher oil prices, while China faces risks from costlier Gulf energy and disrupted chemicals trade, yet both are still expected to stress shared opposition to U.S. actions.
Economic realities also limit any strategic split. U.S.-China trade reached $414.7 billion in 2025 versus $234 billion for China-Russia, but Xi and Putin—who have met more than 40 times—are likely to present their partnership as a stabilizing force.
Is Washington trading long-term security for short-term economic wins in its new diplomacy with Beijing?
Are the back-to-back Beijing summits cementing a new world order challenging U.S. global leadership?
As China controls critical minerals, can U.S. leadership in AI chips prevent a global power shift?
Beijing’s Strategic Balancing Act: Trump and Putin Summits in May 2026 and the Rise of Multipolar Diplomacy
Overview
In May 2026, Beijing became the center of global diplomacy by hosting back-to-back visits from U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This marked the first time China invited both leaders for bilateral talks in the same month, highlighting Beijing’s strategy to balance relations with major powers in a fragmented world. The Xi-Trump summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly nine years, focused on stabilizing ties amid ongoing tensions. Immediately after, Putin’s visit underscored China’s careful diplomatic choreography, aiming to strengthen its global influence while managing complex relationships with both the U.S. and Russia.