Just days after hosting Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Beijing, a choreographed display of diplomatic equilibrium intended to underscore China’s newfound role as a superpower courted by both Washington and Moscow. Xi greeted the Russian leader outside the Great Hall of the People with a handshake and a military band, a ceremonial mirror of the Trump visit the previous week. In opening remarks, Xi lauded the “unyielding” nature of bilateral ties, describing the relationship as one that has “continuously deepened political mutual trust and strategic coordination with a resilience that has withstood a thousand tests.” Putin, in turn, called the partnership “unprecedented” and said cooperation in trade and energy was showing strong momentum despite unfavourable external factors. The symbolism was deliberate: Beijing is the one city where the leaders of America and Russia now come, in rapid succession, to press their case.

The substantive outcomes of the summit were anchored in energy and institutional ties. Russia and China agreed to extend the 2001 Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, a legal cornerstone of their relationship, and signed more than 40 bilateral documents covering trade, technology and infrastructure. Central to the economic talks was the mooted Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, a 2,600-kilometre conduit designed to carry 50 billion cubic metres of Siberian gas annually to China. Putin has pushed for a final investment decision, but Beijing, as a more powerful economic partner, has held out on pricing and financing terms. Analysts in London note that the delay reflects a fundamental asymmetry: China can afford to wait, whereas Russia, cut off from European markets and under Western sanctions, needs the deal more urgently.

Geopolitically, the two leaders used the summit to project a common front against what Xi termed “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents.” In pointed language that could only be aimed at Washington, Xi warned against a return to the “law of the jungle” in international affairs. The discussions also covered the Middle East, with both sides calling for a comprehensive ceasefire in the US-Iran conflict, and the war in Ukraine, though Chinese state media notably omitted direct mention of Russian aggression. Viewed from the White House, the summit was an expected consolidation of the Sino-Russian axis, but one that carries limited immediate threat as long as Beijing remains cautious about extending military support. European capitals, meanwhile, see the meeting as further evidence that the post-Cold War order is yielding to a more fragmented, multipolar system in which China is the pivotal player.

Looking ahead, the Beijing summit reaffirmed the deepening interdependence between Russia and China, but also revealed the growing leverage in Beijing’s hands. Putin’s first foreign trip of 2026, coming after Trump’s visit, highlighted how Russia’s strategic dependence on China has increased since the Ukraine war. For Xi, the ability to host both leaders in the same week burnishes an image of China as a responsible power that can engage with all sides. The next test will come if Washington seeks to peel Beijing away from Moscow on critical issues—a scenario that, based on this week’s choreography, appears less likely than ever.