Are Xi Jinping and Putin still ‘best friends’? – The Latest
episodePreviously titled “Are Xi and Putin still ‘best friends’? – The Latest” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
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What recent events led to Xi and Putin's meeting in Beijing?
This is The Guardian.
It's almost Xi trying to show he can meet the world's top leaders whenever he likes. Everyone sort of wants a piece of him. There's no doubt that Beijing is really revelling in this now that China is having this moment on the sort of diplomatic stage. China definitely has the upper hand on this occasion. And I think both parties know that. Xi knows that. Putin knows that.
Xi Jinping has welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing just days after hosting Donald Trump. But with an increasing power imbalance between the pair, has the relationship between Russia and China changed? From The Guardian's Today In Focus, this is The Latest with me, Lucy Hough. I'm joined by Devika Bhatt, the Guardian's Deputy Head of International News.
How has the power dynamics shifted between China and Russia?
Thanks for joining us, Devika. So this morning, we've been seeing all these scenes of pomp and pageantry in Beijing as Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has travelled to China for, I think, the 25th time. And he and Xi Jinping have had more than 40 meetings in the past. Talk about the optics of this meeting, because it's in the exact same location that Donald Trump was in just a few days ago.
Yeah, thanks for having me, Lucy. Yes, as you say, Trump was there just last week. And this visit has come hot off the heels of that, probably much to Trump's chagrin, I'd suspect. And yes, the optics and the theatre of it feels very, very similar. So, you know... There's been the honor guard and a gun salute, which Trump got to, cheering children, you know, waving, in this case, Russian and Chinese flags, a marching band. And, you know, alongside the kind of formal talks and the sort of handshakes, there's going to be background discussions behind the scenes, which, again, we sort of saw with the Trump visit. You know, and the optics will be watched especially closely for this sort of compare and contrast opportunity it gives us.
But the relationships are very different. So let's talk about that, because I mean, these are two strong men who've been seen as being very much allies on the global stage. I think Xi Jinping has described Putin as his best and most intimate friend, slightly disquietingly. But has that shifted in recent years, do you think? And perhaps this year, given how much turmoil we're seeing and in light, of course, of Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
Yes, I think so.
What role does China want to play on the global diplomatic stage?
So yeah, it's absolutely the case that unlike Trump and Xi, this is a kind of really historic relationship that goes back for years and years, and they share a lot in common. They're both sort of autocratic strongmen who've managed to maintain power for years and years. Again, you know, one suspects Trump might look on that quite jealously. And so there's a pre-existing relationship here. And this trip feels a lot more about, from the Chinese point of view anyway, working out how to sort of leverage that relationship in a kind of useful way. Now that China is having this moment on the diplomatic stage now. that it's long kind of sought, it's long wanted to be seen as the sort of seat, the center of power of global diplomacy in a way it's not really had the opportunity to before.
And I think, you know, there's a big sense now that although there is this relationship with Russia, China will want to really think about how it uses that to its advantage. The fact that the two visits come so closely together, it's almost Xi trying to show he can meet the world's top leaders whenever he likes. Everyone sort of wants a piece of him.
Yeah, and striking to see the optics of all this pomp and pageantry and this display of military and economic heft from China. Also striking that Xi Jinping has said this quote that the world risks regressing into the law of the jungle. I mean, striking that China would be advocating the rules based international order and kind of seeming a bit like the adult in the room.
Yes. And I think, you know, there's no doubt that Beijing is really reveling in this moment. It sort of gets to say that because of the war in Iran and because of the war in Ukraine.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What recent events led to Xi and Putin's meeting in Beijing?
0:00–0:51
2
How has the power dynamics shifted between China and Russia?
0:51–2:22
3
What role does China want to play on the global diplomatic stage?
2:22–8:48
4
How do Xi and Putin's relationships differ from past interactions?
8:48–11:43