Xi Hosts 12-Plus Leaders in Beijing as China Pushes Multipolar Order
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 26
Xi Hosts 12-Plus Leaders in Beijing as China Pushes Multipolar Order
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 26
Summary
Tarique Rahman’s Friday visit will extend a run of more than a dozen world leaders hosted by Xi in Beijing this year, underscoring China’s bid to deepen ties and project itself as a diplomatic hub.
Analysts say many visitors — from middle powers to poorer states seeking stability or loans — are using Beijing to hedge against an increasingly unpredictable US, giving Xi room to promote a China-led alternative order.
Min Aung Hlaing’s red-carpet reception less than two weeks ago showed how far Beijing is willing to go, with Xi offering firm support to Myanmar’s junta while stressing non-interference in its internal affairs.
That outreach has limits: China has drawn leaders including Trump and Putin, but its record in resolving crises remains thin, from limited leverage over Iran to a forgotten 12-point Ukraine peace plan.
As Southeast Asian nations quietly build new security ties, can China’s diplomatic push overcome growing regional resistance?
Is China’s massive lending to the Global South a true development partnership or a strategic plan for economic dominance?
China’s 2026 Summits: Multipolar Ambitions, Russia Alliance, and the New Global Governance Push
Overview
In May 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted major summits that highlighted Beijing’s push for a multipolar world. Against a backdrop of global uncertainty—marked by an unpredictable United States under President Trump and the ongoing Iran war—China strengthened its strategic partnership with Russia while managing a complex relationship with the U.S. The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing signaled a new level in China-Russia ties, especially as Russia faced isolation after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These diplomatic moves show China’s active role in shaping a new world order amid shifting global alliances.