China, Putin and Trump
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Xi holds talks with Putin
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On the surface, Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s back-to-back summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin looked pretty similar, with formal handshakes in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square,
“Xi has consolidated this position that Great Power politics now must go through Beijing,” one expert tells TIME.
Russia will be looking for energy and trade deals with China, as well as continuing geopolitical support.
Back-to-back visits to Beijing by the American and Russian presidents are highlighting how China's Xi Jinping is the world leader to be reckoned with and courted.
1don MSN
Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties as Xi also seeks stable U.S. relations after Trump summit
His two-day visit is likely to be closely watched as Beijing seeks to maintain stable relations with the United States while also preserving strong ties with Russia.
Beijing walks into the summit with the stronger hand while Moscow seeks reassurance that China has not drifted toward Washington after Trump's visit.
With the upheaval in the Persian Gulf disrupting oil and gas supplies, Russia is looking to deepen its energy ties to China.
U.S. Africa Command leader says Africa serves as Putin's purse, fueling Russia's war in Ukraine through resource extraction and recruitment networks.