Xi’s China visits: Trump ceremony, Putin substance

Xi Jinping’s back-to-back summits with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin looked similar at first glance—handshakes, flag-waving children, and formal receptions in Beijing. But the two visits unfolded differently in duration, messaging, and what China and its cou

BEIJING — On the surface, Xi Jinping’s back-to-back summits with Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin looked strikingly similar: formal handshakes in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, enthusiastic greetings from children waving flags, and marching columns of soldiers with gleaming bayonets.

Yet the details around those gestures told a more complicated story about how China wants to relate to Washington versus Moscow. During Trump’s visit, Beijing aimed to stabilize ties with the United States. During Putin’s trip, Xi focused on deepening a strategic partnership with Russia.

During Trump’s stay, Xi leaned heavily into ceremonial hospitality, including a rare tour of Zhongnanhai, the former imperial garden that now serves as headquarters for China’s top leadership. George Chen, partner for Greater China practice for The Asia Group, said the choreography mattered.

“Xi knows this is what Trump values: being treated like a VIP, respected in front of the cameras.”

For Putin, Chen said Xi’s approach shifted toward substance. “Reaffirming the friendship treaty, signing new energy deals, and re-emphasizing their ‘no limits’ partnership,” he added.

The similarities and contrasts began with the schedule. Trump stayed in China for three days. Putin’s visit lasted two.

Both leaders were welcomed at Tiananmen Square with ceremonial guards, a military band and children waving flags. Both also held closed-door meetings with Xi at the Great Hall of the People, next to the square.

But their days diverged afterward. Trump received a private tour of the Temple of Heaven and walked through the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai. Putin, by contrast, spent much of his time with Xi inside the Great Hall of the People. The two presidents toured a photo exhibition on China-Russia relations and later had tea.

Last week’s trip came as different moments for each leader. Trump’s visit was his second to China as president. Putin’s was his 25th visit to the country.

Still, the clearest divide came in the messaging. With Trump. Xi emphasized the need to maintain a relatively stable relationship after months of tensions and a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Xi urged the U.S. president to see China as a partner rather than a rival. The two leaders agreed to work toward what they described as “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”.

With Putin, Xi sought to reinforce and deepen a longstanding partnership described as strategic and economically important for both countries. While the U.S. and China are still trying to stabilize their trade ties, Moscow and Beijing reaffirmed their relationship as essential partners. Putin said the “driving force” of the relationship was the energy sector, particularly oil and gas.

That difference showed up sharply in what was signed—and when. China and Russia reached more than 40 cooperation agreements covering areas including trade, technology and media exchanges. Xi and Putin also signed a joint declaration describing Russia and China as “important centers of power in a multipolar world.”.

Trump and Xi did not sign a joint declaration or oversee the signing of any agreements publicly during the visit. Details of several accords came only after Trump left Beijing. Washington said China agreed to buy U.S. agricultural products at an annualized rate of $17 billion and purchase 200 Boeing jets.

The mix of clarity and opacity left room for skepticism. Claus Soong, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin, said, “China and Russia reached more agreements, and with China and the U.S., what are the agreements? Even that is not very clear.”

Lyle Morris. a senior fellow on Chinese national security and foreign policy at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. said the biggest surprise from the Xi-Putin meetings was that it appeared no formal deal was signed for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline plan. which could send gas from Russia to China through Mongolia.

“This is a huge setback for Russia and Putin,” he said.

The same visits also put Taiwan at the center of how each relationship is managed. Moscow is closely aligned with Beijing on Taiwan, the island democracy China claims as its own. The U.S. maintains an intentionally ambiguous stance and serves as the island’s main informal backer and arms provider.

Xi made it clear to Trump that Taiwan is the most important issue in the bilateral relationship. He warned that mishandling U.S. ties with the self-governing island could lead to confrontation between the two countries. Trump did not publicly address Taiwan during the visit. But on his way back to the United States. he described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China. comments that stirred anxieties on the island.

With Putin, there was no sign of disagreement over the issue. In the joint declaration signed by Xi and Putin. Russia reiterated its opposition to Taiwanese independence “in any form” and voiced support for what it described as China’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and achieve “national unification.”.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, both sides also raised concerns over what they called “accelerated remilitarization” of Japan, against the backdrop of strained China-Japan ties over Taiwan.

In the end, the flags and the soldier formations created a shared visual language. But the differing emphasis—VIP-like ceremony for Trump, and treaty-and-energy substance for Putin—made clear that China is calibrating its message to each power in ways that go beyond the surface pageantry.

Xi Jinping Donald Trump Vladimir Putin China-U.S. relationship China-Russia relationship Tiananmen Square Zhongnanhai Great Hall of the People Taiwan Power of Siberia 2 Boeing jets agricultural products international diplomacy