FRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Paris, May 18, 2026. Only four days separate the departure of Donald Trump from Beijing and the arrival of Vladimir Putin in the Chinese capital. This 'very unusual' calendar, according to Natasha Kuhrt, a specialist in Russian-Asian relations at King's College in London, summarizes the unique position that China now occupies in global geopolitics: that of a diplomatic hub that neither Washington nor Moscow can afford to neglect.

For French media, the event goes beyond a simple bilateral visit. RFI and France 24 read it as the materialization of a long-matured Chinese strategy: Beijing deliberately cultivates the image of a stabilizing power in a world plagued by commercial crises, geopolitical tensions, and armed conflicts. 'China has become a precious and important point of stability on the international scene,' summarizes Chinese expert Ding Yifan, cited by RFI.

The protocol question crystallizes the stakes. Each detail of the welcome reserved for Putin - the number of personalities present on the tarmac, the range of private visits granted - will be compared to the treatment given to Trump, who had benefited from a visit to the Temple of Heaven. Una Berzina-Cerenkova, director of the China Study Center at the University of Stradins in Riga, affirms without hesitation in France 24: Russian diplomats are 'in constant contact' with their Chinese counterparts to avoid any 'under-representation' of the importance of the visit compared to that of the American president.

The visit is officially part of the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Friendship Treaty signed in July 2001. But the context gives it a particular charge. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the intensification of Western sanctions against Moscow, the two countries have significantly strengthened their ties: China is now Russia's largest trading partner, providing over a third of its imports and absorbing over a quarter of its exports. The Siberia-China gas pipeline is almost complete, symbolizing growing energy integration.

But Paris also notes the limits that Beijing imposes. Despite this strategic rapprochement, China continues to officially reject any formal military alliance with Moscow. It intends to preserve its margin of maneuver vis-à-vis the West, particularly in the context of a Sino-American relationship that the summit with Trump has made 'very friendly', according to France 24.