BEIJING, CHINA – MAY 15: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as he leaves after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden on May 15, 2026 in Beijing, China.
Ivan Vucci | getty images
The meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American and Russian counterparts took place just a few days apart, but the style and substance of the meetings were completely opposite.
Xi’s meeting with President Donald Trump was full of pomp and pageantry, reflecting Beijing’s eagerness to project China’s power, strength and history during the leader’s state visit to the White House. But the Chinese premier’s meeting with his Russian counterpart and “friend” Vladimir Putin was largely amicable, with the two leaders reaffirming their already close strategic and geopolitical ties.
However, one big notable difference between the two fixtures was Taiwan, which was a cornerstone of one meeting and was completely absent from the other.
The disputed status of the island – which China claims as its own – was a central and sticking point in Xi’s meeting with Trump, but the thorny issue was ignored in talks with Putin.
“Xi does not want the Taiwan issue and China’s claim that Taiwan is rightfully its territory to be conflated with Russia’s separatism and claims and war on Ukrainian territory,” Max Hess, founder of political risk consultancy Enmetena Advisory, told CNBC on Wednesday.
“This would make China appear much more belligerent,” Hayes said. He further stated that “China has recognized Ukraine and its borders several times in the past, but it has never recognized Taiwan’s independence.”
trump taiwan flashpoint
Taiwan was seen as a decisive issue in the talks during Trump’s visit to China last week.
Xi said any mishandling of the Taiwan “question”, which he described as “the most important issue in China-US relations”, would jeopardize the relationship between the two superpowers.Great danger.”
He went on to warn Trump that US intervention in Taiwan could be a flashpoint for “direct conflict and even conflict” between the two countries. He also seemed to be linking the economic stability of both the countries to this matter.
Beijing views the democratically self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory and the center of its national sovereignty. The island’s ruling party rejects that claim.
America accepts China’s point of viewBut it maintains strong ties with Taipei and is committed to supplying Taiwan with the means for its defense first.
Analysts suggest Xi’s comments were largely designed to persuade the Trump administration to delay or cancel a pending US arms sales package to Taiwan.
“Chinese leaders see these arms sales as a major irritant. If Taiwan did not receive U.S. defense support, it would be much easier for China to take over the island by force. Hence Xi’s effort to lobby Trump for inaction on the pending $14 billion package,” Melanie Hart, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, said in an online analysis.
It’s not clear whether China’s warnings bothered the White House; Trump said last week that Xi declined to answer directly when asked whether the US would defend Taiwan against Chinese attack.
On the contrary, meeting Putin
Xi’s meetings with Putin over the past few days have been more informal, with the Kremlin keen to emphasize that the two-day visit was a part of regular contacts and communications between Moscow and Beijing.
Hours before landing, Putin said he was “glad to visit Beijing once again at the invitation of my longtime good friend … Xi Jinping.”
“Regular mutual visits and Russia-China top-level dialogue are an important and integral part of our joint efforts to promote the full range of relations between our two countries and unlock their truly limitless potential,” he said in the remarks. informed By TASS news agency.
In this pool photo distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) and China’s President Xi Jinping shake hands during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 20, 2026.
Alexander Kazakov AFP | getty images
Russia and China are seen ideologically united on many geopolitical issues, with each sharing traditional opposition and distrust of the West and Washington.
Both countries have been supportive of each other’s foreign policies, especially when it comes to regional matters; China essentially accepted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, refused to condemn the conflict, and tolerated the global uncertainty and supply disruptions caused by the war. Both have also provided support to Iran in the conflict between the United States and the Islamic Republic.
In a joint statement issued by Xi and Putin on Wednesday, the leaders endorsed their “deep political mutual trust and strategic cooperation” in a range of areas from energy and economy to trade.
“The heads of state exchanged views on key international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East,” the statement said. Published by Xinhua News Agency, Said. They also issued a joint statement advocating “a multipolar world and a new type of international relations”.
However, there was no mention of Taiwan.
“That’s not going to happen, because China has all the power in the relationship,” Hayes said.
“Xi has no interest in doing that and would certainly be very angry if Putin or other Russian officials mentioned it in that context,” Hayes said.
Andreas Tursa, adviser for Central and Eastern Europe at risk consultancy Teneo, also told CNBC on Wednesday that he was not surprised that Taiwan, at least publicly, was not on the agenda between Xi and Putin.
He said, “The Xi-Putin summit mostly focused on bilateral relations. Regarding international affairs, there are many more serious issues, including the war in Ukraine and the Middle East. Moreover, there is no disagreement on Taiwan as Moscow has been consistently pursuing the ‘one China’ policy, which accepts China’s claims on Taiwan.”