Beijing, May 2026: The Multipolar Order Took Shape Without Europe

In the space of five days, Xi Jinping hosted both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Two summits, back to back, in the same capital, with the same host.

Europe was not in the room. Europe was not invited.

This is not a diplomatic curiosity. This is a structural fact about where global power now resides and how it is being exercised.

Beijing as the Capital of Multipolar Diplomacy

Xi Jinping did not choose between Washington and Moscow. He engaged both. That is the point. China’s influence today comes not just from its economic size but from strategic centrality — from becoming the power that other major actors increasingly have to deal with.

Trump came to Beijing looking for relief on rare earths and trade stability. Putin came to reinforce the Sino-Russian partnership and show that Russia is still a serious player despite years of Western sanctions. Both got what they needed on Chinese terms.

This is what the multipolar world actually looks like. Not a clean handover from American to Chinese dominance, but a messy, competitive system where several power centres interact, compete, and negotiate at the same time.

China recognized this shift early and positioned itself accordingly. Russia, despite heavy Western pressure, adapted with surprising resilience. The United States is reluctantly learning to live with it.

The Isolation Strategy That Backfired

For four years, one of the European Union’s main strategic goals was the isolation of Russia. Multiple rounds of sanctions were supposed to cut Moscow off from Western finance,........

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