中文
Lead: Within days of each other, the leaders of both the United States and Russia traveled to Beijing for separate bilateral summits, marking a rare diplomatic sequence and suggesting the world's center of gravity has shifted.
By Josef Gregory Mahoney
In the span of just one week, Beijing hosted the presidents of the United States and Russia for successive high-level summits. President Trump arrived on May 13 for a two-day visit. President Putin followed on May 19, four days after Trump's departure. It was a rare instance of China hosting the leaders of both countries in close succession outside a multilateral setting. From London to New Delhi, analysts have drawn a single conclusion: all roads now lead to Beijing.
Trump's May 13-15 visit focused on managing bilateral economic tensions and exploring areas of practical cooperation. Following talks that Chinese and U.S. officials described as equal and constructive, the two sides achieved several preliminary outcomes.
On trade, China and the United States agreed in principle to discuss a reciprocal tariff reduction framework on products worth $30 billion or more on each side, to be negotiated under a new bilateral trade board. Products of respective concern are expected to receive most-favored-nation tariff rates or lower once implemented — a development both sides said would help stabilize and expand bilateral trade.
In the aviation sector, China committed to purchasing 200 Boeing aircraft in line with its air transport development needs and commercial principles. In return, the United States will guarantee China a sufficient supply of engines and spare parts.
On agricultural trade, China will import U.S. agricultural products valued at $17 billion annually over three years, helping diversify China’s food supply while providing steady income for American farmers. More than 400 U.S. beef facilities received renewed export qualifications and China resumed poultry imports from relevant U.S. states. Both sides also reached an agreement on two-way market access for specialty agricultural products, including dairy, aquatic products, vegetables and fruits.
On critical minerals, China reiterated that its export controls on rare earths are implemented in accordance with laws and regulations, with license applications for compliant civilian use reviewed accordingly. China expressed willingness to work with the United States to create favorable conditions for mutually beneficial cooperation and ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Attendees talk at the 10th China-Russia Expo in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 17, 2026. [Photo by Wang Jianwei/Xinhua]
While some international media, including the BBC, noted that the "very successful talks" yielded fewer firm contracts than initially suggested, the strategic significance should not be underestimated. The two sides established new trade and investment boards, reached understandings on Iran and exchanged invitations for future high-level visits. These outcomes demonstrate that even as differences persist, dialogue and managed competition serve the interests of both nations.
President Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19 for an official two-day visit, held under the framework of the 25th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed July 16, 2001. The visit produced a series of concrete agreements and joint declarations affirming what both governments described as an "unprecedentedly high level" of bilateral relations.
The two leaders oversaw the signing of approximately 20 agreements during the summit, with another 20 expected to be concluded separately. These covered a wide range of sectors, from energy and nuclear cooperation to artificial intelligence, media, trade and environmental protection.
In the civilian nuclear energy sector, China and Russia agreed to strengthen cooperation significantly. A joint statement confirmed the two sides will continue implementing the construction of the Tianwan and Xudapu nuclear power plants, ensuring timely completion and commissioning. The two countries also plan to advance cooperation in nuclear fusion, fast neutron reactors and closed nuclear fuel cycle technologies. They also intend to explore agreements covering early-stage nuclear fuel cycle work and the joint construction of new nuclear power plants.
Energy remains the "driving force" behind bilateral economic cooperation, Putin said. China is the world's largest crude oil importer and the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, China imported $14 billion worth of Russian oil, up 8.86% year on year.
The long-discussed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline — a 2,600-kilometer project designed to carry 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia to China via Mongolia — was on the agenda. While no final contract was announced, the Kremlin confirmed both sides reached a "general understanding on the parameters" of the project. Chinese President Xi Jinping said energy cooperation and resource connectivity should serve as the "ballast stone" of Sino-Russian relations.
Analysts note that key issues such as gas pricing remain under negotiation. This reflects normal commercial bargaining between sovereign nations rather than any shortcoming in bilateral relations.
The summit produced a joint statement on the formation of a multipolar world. The declaration warned that "the global situation is becoming more complex" and that the world faces "new risks and challenges" alongside the danger of a return to the "law of the jungle." It criticized attempts by some countries to "unilaterally manage global affairs" and impose their interests on others "in the spirit of the colonial era."
Specifically, the two leaders condemned U.S. plans for the "Golden Dome" missile defense shield and Washington's "irresponsible" nuclear policy, noting that the last remaining U.S.-Russian nuclear arms limitation treaty expired in February without extension. They also expressed "resolute opposition to hegemonism and unilateralism."
This photo taken on April 21, 2025 shows the Kremlin and the Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. [Photo by Cao Yang/Xinhua]
These back-to-back summits did not occur in a vacuum. The Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively closed since early March 2026 following escalating conflict in the Middle East, disrupting approximately 20% of global crude oil flows. For more than two months, tanker transits collapsed from a daily average of 24 ships to just four, with roughly 300 tankers trapped within the strait. China, which normally sources a significant portion of its oil imports via this route, has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure free navigation for its commercial vessels.
The disruption has reshaped global energy dynamics. The United States has acknowledged that China has a "much bigger interest" than Washington in seeing the strait reopened. Russia has positioned itself as a reliable alternative energy supplier, with Putin pledging that Moscow stands ready to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Chinese market.
The international community has drawn an unmistakable lesson from these developments. When both the American and Russian presidents travel to the same capital within days of each other — not for a multilateral summit, but for dedicated bilateral visits — that capital is no longer a peripheral actor. It is the center.
China did not ask either leader to choose sides. It did not leverage its position to extract unilateral concessions. It offered cooperation without coercion, respect without submission and dialogue without preconditions.
Trump returned to Washington with a list of preliminary agreements sufficient to demonstrate progress. Putin returned to Moscow with deepened strategic coordination and a reaffirmation of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Both left with an understanding that China is now an indispensable partner for addressing the major challenges of our time, from energy security to trade stability to global governance.
The world in May 2026 remains unsettled. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are running high. Conflicts continue in Ukraine and the Middle East. The international order faces mounting strain. In this environment, China seeks to distinguish itself by offering consistency and predictability, while refusing to treat international relations as a zero-sum game.
The successive summits were not a competition. They were a convergence — on Beijing as a hub for dialogue, a platform for managing differences and a partner for building a more balanced multipolar order. All roads once led to Rome. Then to London and Washington. Now, they lead to Beijing. And for a world weary of confrontation, that is not a threat. It is an opportunity.
Josef Gregory Mahoney is a professor of politics and international relations and director of the Center for Ecological Civilization at East China Normal University in Shanghai. He is also a senior research fellow with the Institute for the Development of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at Southeast University in Nanjing.
