Chinese President Xi Jinping held back-to-back calls with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump as both seek to increase their influence over China.
The calls were held within hours of each other, with the main agenda items being the Russia-Ukraine war and the deteriorating situation in Iran. Despite the competing aims of Trump and Putin, both announced a positive call, along with plans for a visit to China in the near future.
Trump described the “excellent” call as “long and thorough,” saying they discussed his April trip to China, “(which I very much look forward to!),” Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Iran, along with a variety of other subjects, “all very positive!”
“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way,” he said. “I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!”
As for the Putin-Xi call, characteristically, neither party gave as detailed of an account as what was discussed. Nevertheless, Xi was quoted as calling for Russia and China to work out a “grand plan” for future relations.
“The two sides should seize this historic opportunity, maintain close high-level exchanges and strengthen practical cooperation across various fields,” China’s state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin accepted an invitation to visit China in the first half of 2026 and that both leaders agreed their core interests were completely aligned on most important international issues. Ushakov said the call lasted for one hour and 25 minutes.
China is a central player in two of the biggest international crises — the war in Ukraine and tensions around Iran. Moscow and Washington have mutually exclusive goals in each case, meaning they must jockey for influence vis-à-vis China.
After the United States and its Western allies instituted an unprecedented series of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, China provided an economic lifeline for Moscow. China is credited with saving Russia’s economy after it was cut off from the West, a situation that continues to this day.
TRUMP SHOULD FINISH THE JOB IN IRAN
Trump has painted halting the war in Ukraine as one of his top priorities and views pressure on Russia’s economy as the only way to bring Putin to the negotiating table. If he can use U.S. leverage on China to lessen its support for Russia, the Russian economy would be quick to feel the drawdown in support.
China has an equally important role regarding Iran. Tehran has long led a pariah state, with its only allies being Russia and China. It has only grown more reliant on the two in recent years, both for economic and international support. Moscow and Beijing’s vested interests in Iran could interfere with any possible U.S. strike on the country, which looks increasingly likely.
