Last week, Donald Trump flew to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and received an appropriate red-carpet welcome. But he returned home with little more than a promise of some lovely rose seeds for the non-existent (paved-over) White House Rose Garden and a verbal agreement to discuss trade and tariff issues in the future.

Xi got a few good laughs at Trump’s expense, and a deal to buy 200 Boeing aircraft, thus ending a decade-long freeze on Boeing sales to China.

Trump, of course, thought the two-day meeting was a huge success . . . or so he said.

This week — while the seat of honor at the table was still warm — Trump’s presence was replaced by Vladimir Putin’s, who had flown to Beijing for a day of meetings in the Great Hall of the People. After being similarly welcomed with the fanfare due a head of state, Putin and Xi wasted no time in getting down to business.

Xi — in an obvious jab at the United States — said that the “international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and transformation, while unilateral hegemonic currents are running rampant.” Because of this, he added, China and Russia should enhance their “comprehensive strategic coordination.” [Simone McCarthy, CNN, May 20, 2026.]

The two leaders ended their meeting by signing a joint statement — something that did not happen during Trump’s visit — reiterating the close ties between Russia and China and a desire for a “multipolar world.” Putin said that their relations had reached an “unprecedentedly high level” and were among the “main stabilizing factors on the international stage.” [Id.]

While we haven’t been told of any earth-shaking agreements resulting from either of these meetings, what we are seeing is the subtle positioning of China as the rising force in a world long dominated by the U.S. and Russia — both of whose current leaders are now viewed as declining in power and prestige, largely due to their nearly identical, disastrous military and economic miscalculations.

And make no mistake: Xi knew exactly what he was doing when he scheduled the two meetings back-to-back.

It’s a whole new ball game, folks; and we have front-row seats.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/21/26