The visits within a week of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to Beijing have placed China at the center of gravity of world diplomacy. It seems that all roads lead to Beijing, as Trump and Putin have been only the latest and most relevant of a long list of visitors. In recent months, Xi Jinping has received the French president, the German chancellor, the Irish prime minister, the one from the United Kingdom, the one from South Korea, the one from Canada... Pedro Sánchez has also been on the list and his meeting with Xi Jinping coincided with that of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, another example of the Chinese president's intense agenda.

The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing shows the strength of their alliance and how the two leaders share the vision of a new world order. Putin's official trip to the Chinese capital results in a string of mutual compliments, some agreements, and declarations of friendship.

China boasts of being the center of world diplomacy and accumulates visits from top leaders. After bidding farewell to Donald Trump four days ago, tonight it will welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. Xi Jinping has had practically no time to put away the red carpet reserved for distinguished visitors as he is already receiving his main ally, who will be in Beijing for two days.

Kind words, promises of economic agreements and warnings about the risk of a conflict over Taiwan summarize the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two world powers. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have striven to show détente and cordiality in their first meeting in Beijing after almost a decade. From gestures they moved to words, and while Trump assured that Xi Jinping is a great leader, the Chinese president defended that both countries should be partners and not rivals.

Donald Trump has landed in Beijing accompanied by a large business entourage and with the message that he wants China to open its large market to American companies. He was received at the foot of the runway by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, and a small welcome ceremony with 300 children waving flags and a military band. Trump arrived in Beijing at 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The official agenda begins on Thursday and includes a reception ceremony, a bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping, a state banquet, and a visit to the Temple of Heaven, one of the emblematic monuments of the capital. On Friday, the two leaders will meet again for a working breakfast before concluding the visit.

Xi Jinping rolls out the red carpet to receive Donald Trump this week on a state visit marked by the Iran crisis and overshadowed by trade tensions and rivalry between the two countries. The leaders of the world's two largest powers will hold talks in Beijing with low expectations of reaching significant agreements, but with the need to stabilize relations. In addition to the energy crisis caused by the war against Iran, the two leaders have other fronts open, such as technological competition, trade barriers, or the sale of arms to Taiwan.

While the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to maritime traffic and Iran and the United States continue to negotiate under the threat of resuming armed attacks, the highest officials of Iranian and Chinese diplomacy have met in Beijing. The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, traveled to Beijing to meet, this Wednesday, with his counterpart, Wang Yi. It was the first personal meeting since the conflict began. Wang Yi acknowledged the close economic and political ties with Iran and insisted on calling the war "illegitimate". The Chinese diplomat once again called for a comprehensive ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He also reiterated China's opposition to sanctions.Wang positioned himself in favor of a solution involving the region's actors. He assured that the Gulf and Middle Eastern countries "should take the reins of their future" and that China supports "the establishment of a regional peace and security framework led by the countries of the region". Since the beginning of the conflict, the Chinese position has been to defend the need to achieve a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to restore world trade. The closure of this route directly affects Chinese interests. China used to buy 80% of Iranian oil, and 45% of the gas and oil imported by the Asian giant circulates through this route.The meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister comes a week before President Trump's visit to Beijing. A trip scheduled for May 14 and 15, which China has not yet officially confirmed.The war has become the focus of talks that were initially intended to restore trade relations. Donald Trump has requested Xi Jinping's cooperation to reach an agreement with Iran. At the beginning of the week, it was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, who urged China to influence Iran to reopen Hormuz. And Marco Rubio also joined the pressure in statements to the press from Washington. A whole battery of pressures reminiscent of those deployed by the European Union for China to influence Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine, without success.Beijing's ambiguity

So far, China has limited itself to advocating for diplomatic solutions to conflicts, without getting involved. In the case of Iran, Chinese economic interests are clearer, but it remains to be seen whether China will do anything more than limit itself to statements, as in the case of Ukraine. Unlike the United States, accustomed to using military force, China bases its influence on trade. China has no allies, it has commercial partners. It limits itself to defending its interests under the axiom of not interfering in the internal affairs of its partners. The Asian giant has woven a network of commercial interests and investments to guarantee access to ports and trade routes. Routes and agreements that serve to supply itself with raw materials and to deliver its exports. For example, in these times of energy crisis, China uses its reserves to supply fuel to Southeast Asian countries, highly dependent on the Persian Gulf, and thus strengthen alliances.Officially, it is difficult for China to do anything more than make statements in defense of truces and negotiations. But it is very possible that it is supplying arms to Iran, as the United States has denounced. In the case of Russia, there is no doubt that its economic support helps Putin's regime to survive the sanctions, and there are suspicions that it exports dual-use material, civilian, but which can be used for military purposes.In the process of militarization

But in addition to the lack of will, Beijing also lacks the military capacity to confront the United States. The Chinese army has undergone a radical modernization, but it has not yet reached the level of the North American one. China currently only has 3 aircraft carriers compared to the United States' 11, and only has one military base outside its territory. But perhaps the most important thing is that the Chinese army has no experience; it has not participated in real war missions.Trump's erratic position weakens his figure and also that of the United States as a reliable ally on the international stage. This conjuncture facilitates Xi Jinping positioning himself as a stable leader and defender of international order, but it remains to be seen if China will truly benefit from the situation.In a short time, it has seen how important allies, Venezuela or Iran, for example, have been attacked and destabilized by the United States. And surely the next on the list will be Cuba. China's role as a leader of the Global South could deteriorate if it is perceived that being an ally of the Asian giant does not translate into protection against possible aggressions.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping told Pedro Sánchez this Tuesday that both China and Spain "are on the right side of history". He stated this at the beginning of the meeting the two held in Beijing as part of the Spanish president's official visit. Alluding to conflicts such as the one in Iran, Xi argued that the two countries agree on the defense of international law, which he said has been "gravely undermined", and urged the socialist leader to join efforts against the "law of the jungle" and in favor of peace and multilateralism.

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In the regal auditorium of Tsinghua University, one of China's most prestigious, the Spanish Prime Minister has initiated the official visit to the Asian giant with a clear statement of intent in the form of a speech. Pedro Sánchez has advocated for strengthening multilateralism and, at the same time, reforming it to have a more representative and democratic UN Security Council that gives more power to southern countries. Although he has acknowledged China's efforts in defending international law, he has assigned it homework, for example, to get involved in ceasing conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, the West Bank, and also in Ukraine. He has not forgotten about the economy and has demanded more balanced relations, recalling the large trade deficit with the Asian giant: "We need China to open up so that Europe does not have to close itself off".

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The war against Iran is impacting the global fertilizer trade: its scarcity will drive up prices and lead to less abundant harvests. Most fertilizers are produced in the Middle East and also transit through the Strait of Hormuz, just like oil and gas. In fact, one-third of the world's fertilizer trade passes through this strait, and its main destination is Southeast Asia. Asia already fears not having enough food due to the conflict.

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China is a stabilizing and peaceful force against the United States, which sows chaos throughout the world… Or at least this is the message Beijing is conveying in response to the attack on Iran. The Asian giant is walking a tightrope in criticizing the US and Israeli military operation. But it offers nothing more than statements of support for its ally, the regime of the ayatollahs.

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China has passed a law that will curtail the rights of minorities, under the pretext of defending social cohesion and national unity. From now on, minority languages ​​will disappear from education, religious practices will be monitored, and intermarriage will be encouraged. The so-called law to promote ethnic unity and progress, passed by the National People's Congress (NPC), is justified as supporting the development of ethnic minority communities. However, human rights groups consider it a tool of repression.

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China has set a growth target of between 4.5% and 5% for 2026. This is the first time since 1991 that the Asian giant has considered GDP growth below 5%.

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Beijing's response to the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran has been restrained, appealing to diplomacy to resolve the conflict. This is typical of Chinese foreign policy, even though this time the attacked country is one of its allies and major trading partners. Iran is a key piece in China's international expansion. Sanctions against the ayatollahs' regime have made the Asian giant its main trading partner. Around 80% of Iranian oil shipped to China is destined for the US. The Chinese government obtains high-quality crude at a low price and, moreover, buys it with yuan, without using the US dollar. Aside from Iran's large oil and gas reserves, the country is geostrategically important to China because of its control of the Strait of Hormuz and, therefore, its oil trade. Iran has also become a key player in the Belt and Road Initiative trade corridor and a hub Logistics route for shipping goods to Europe.

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Beijing has taken giant strides in accelerating the transition to renewable energy with record investments in solar and wind power plants, but it hasn't abandoned coal. The Asian giant continues to build a record number of new coal-fired power plants to meet its energy needs. In 2024, 93% of all new coal-fired power plant projects worldwide were initiated in China, contributing 94.5 gigawatts. This trend continued in 2025, with new coal plants adding 161 GW. Currently, there are projects under construction and others that have been approved, with the capacity to produce 291 GW of coal-fired power, according to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Net Air. If this forecast is ultimately realized, it will represent approximately 23% of the current coal-fired power plant fleet, a significant increase. Some experts warn that Beijing's persistent push to build new coal-fired power plants could lead to overcapacity and underutilization of existing plants, in addition to failing to reduce CO₂ emissions. Last year, nearly half of China's electricity generation still came from coal.

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The image of a sad toy horse has gone viral as a metaphor, especially among young people, for the mood with which many Chinese citizens are facing the arrival of the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Fire Horse will begin on February 17th. The economic slowdownThe real estate crisis and rising unemployment are impacting public sentiment, and the government remains focused on stimulating domestic consumption. The Chinese New Year festivities, also known as the Spring Festival, are the main holiday period of the year and a time when consumption traditionally skyrockets, driven by family gatherings, travel, entertainment, and gift-giving. This year, the government has adopted a whole host of measures to ensure that these holidays, very similar to our Christmas, further boost spending and reinforce consumer confidence.

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Hong Kong's High Court has sentenced Jimmy Lai, a leading figure in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, to 20 years in prison for national security offenses. It is the harshest sentence handed down in Hong Kong under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The sentence sends a clear message that Beijing will not be lenient and will treat Hong Kongers as strictly as those in mainland China. That is to say, it will be ruthless with those who dare to challenge the state and will sentence them to long prison terms.

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The announcement that General Zhang, along with General Liu Zhenli, has been removed from their posts and is being investigated for "serious violations of discipline and the law"—a euphemism that translates into accusations of corruption—has unleashed all sorts of rumors in China.

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The one-child policy, the social engineering carried out by the Chinese government to contain the birth rate, is taking its toll. China's population is declining and aging while the number of people living alone is increasing. and socially isolated. In 2025, China lost approximately 3.39 million inhabitants, and the birth rate fell by 17%, to its lowest level since records began. Efforts to stimulate birth rates and marriage are proving ineffective, and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more than 200 million single-person households.

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After nearly a decade of strained relations due to trade disputes and diplomatic clashes, China and Canada have announced a "new strategic partnership" driven by Donald Trump's major tariff pressuresDuring his state visit to Beijing, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney advocated for a new relationship "adapted to the new global realities." This is a way of acknowledging that Donald Trump's trade war is forcing Canada to seek new markets, including in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping supported the "healthy and stable development" of China-Canada relations, which will benefit both countries and also "global stability and prosperity." The two leaders championed multilateralism. From the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing Square, they declared a new stage of collaboration and a commitment to overcome their past conflicts. These positive words have a direct commercial impact. For its part, China will reduce tariffs on Canadian canola seeds. For now, this is the most visible aspect of the agreement, which aims to increase trade and reduce, or in some cases eliminate, bureaucratic barriers. Previous tensions.

Mark Carney's visit is the first by a Canadian head of government since Justin Trudeau's in December 2017. At that time, relations between the two countries were good, but they deteriorated rapidly when Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive and daughter of the company's founder. The arrest was made on a US warrant when Meng stopped over in Canada, where she held several residences. China responded by arresting two Canadians in the People's Republic—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—accusing them of espionage. Tensions escalated with reciprocal sanctions until 2021, when diplomatic mediation secured the simultaneous release of all three. However, in 2023, Canadian intelligence expelled a Chinese diplomat and accused Beijing of attempting to interfere in the general elections. Canada has a large Chinese immigrant community and has also been the destination for many dissidents and residents of Hong Kong who sought refuge after the curtailment of freedoms in the former British colony. In 2024, the disagreement became commercial, resulting in a tariff dispute: Canada penalized Chinese electric vehicles and steel, and Beijing responded with increased tariffs on Canadian canola, pork, and seafood.

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