Global & US Headlines
Xi Executes Diplomatic Doubleheader: Same-Day Virtual Summit with Putin, Phone Call with Trump
On 4 Feb 2026 Xi Jinping first spent 85 minutes online with Vladimir Putin deepening strategic-energy alignment, then hours later told Donald Trump China would markedly boost U.S. soybean imports—signalling Beijing’s bid to hedge by tightening ties to both its chief energy supplier and its chief export market in one calendar day.
Focusing Facts
- Xi–Putin video conference lasted 1 h 25 m on 4 Feb 2026, during which Putin accepted two invitations to visit China.
- Trump stated China will raise soybean purchases to 20 Mt this season (up from 12 Mt) and commit to 25 Mt next season.
- Kremlin figures place China’s cumulative post-2022 purchases of Russian energy at over $230 billion, making Russia its top oil and pipeline-gas source.
Context
The choreography evokes Richard Nixon’s 1972 triangular diplomacy—only inverted: Beijing now woos both Moscow and Washington within hours rather than being wooed. Like the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop pact’s economic clauses, today’s energy-for-food swaps convert commodities into geopolitical insurance. Long-term, the episode illustrates a structural trend: major powers are diversifying critical dependencies rather than choosing fixed blocs, eroding the leverage of sanctions and tariff coalitions. If these pledges solidify—Putin’s forthcoming China visit and the promised 45 Mt of U.S. soybeans—historians may mark 2026 as a pivot toward a more polycentric, transaction-driven order rather than the binary alignments that defined 20th-century conflicts; if they unravel, the day will be a footnote in the centuries-old dance of great-power hedging.
Perspectives
Chinese state-aligned media
Chinese state-aligned media — Presents the Xi–Putin video summit as a fresh "new beginning" in which the two powers will "jointly maintain global strategic stability" and deepen a constructive partnership amid an increasingly turbulent world. Ignores Russia’s pariah status after invading Ukraine and skips any criticism of Beijing or Moscow, advancing Beijing’s interest in portraying the pair as benign guardians of order.
Western business & energy press
Western business & energy press — Depicts the meeting as proof that sanctions are driving Moscow to rely on China’s market, stressing that Putin "seized the opportunity" to tout energy sales while Trump’s separate call with Xi revolved around transactional trade and Taiwan issues. By centring on Russia’s commercial dependence it may overstate the effectiveness of U.S. pressure and underplay the deeper strategic convergence between Beijing and Moscow, aligning with a narrative that Western leverage is working.
Indian mainstream/business media
Indian mainstream/business media — Emphasises Trump’s "excellent" call with Xi, foregrounding China’s potential jump in soybean buys and suggesting the dialogue could put U.S.–China ties on a more positive track even while Taiwan and Ukraine remain on the agenda. Leaning heavily on Trump’s self-reported details with scant independent verification, the coverage risks overstating diplomatic progress and reflects India’s stake in a stable global trade climate.