The Biden-Xi meeting resulted in minor agreements. It failed to reset the U.S.-China rivalry — because the two countries can’t be reconciled.
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is unlikely to disown Putin, but he will balance his support for him with the need to stabilize relations with the U.S. and Europe.
The entrepreneurial business model in China has now been extinguished. China’s economy will continue to stumble as a result.
The replacement of Qin Gang as foreign minister with his predecessor Wang Yi highlights the opaque nature of China’s political system.
By reigning in Russia over Ukraine, Xi can firmly establish China as an indispensable guarantor of security and stability in Europe.
The EU’s inability to decisively commit to bolstering Ukraine reflects the wider contest over Europe’s vision of a future of the world order.
French President Emmanuel Macron leaves China with little apparent progress on a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine war.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine — backed openly by China’s economic power — is just the first geopolitical product of a restored Russia-China axis.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin prefer a multipolar world order, which would most probably result in a number of regional hegemons.
Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow was more about reiterating China and Russia’s shared interests than pursuit of a settlement to the Ukraine war.
