PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE
PUTIN HEADS TO BEIJING AFTER TRUMP COURTS XI: CHINA'S MOMENT?
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DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad observes with attention a revealing sequence: Trump arrives in Beijing in a weakened position, then Putin follows, confirming that China has become the indispensable pivot of the global order.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, May 18, 2026. The sequence is instructive: in the space of a few weeks, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have both made the trip to Beijing. For Pakistani media, this schedule is not insignificant - it reflects a reality that Dawn's analysis summarizes without beating around the bush: China has gained the geopolitical advantage over the United States, and Moscow is seeking to ensure that this realignment does not come at its expense.
Trump's visit to Beijing - the first by an American president in nearly a decade - took place under the sign of constrained negotiation. Dawn notes that Trump arrived with a reduced lever: his tariff offensive against China had largely missed its targets. When Washington raised its tariffs to 145%, Beijing responded by restricting its exports of rare earths, on which China has a quasi-monopoly, forcing the United States to back down. The commercial agreement concluded in October 2025 at the South Korea summit included a one-year sunset clause - a temporary truce, not a resolution.
Dawn also highlights that the war in Iran had weakened American credibility even before Trump's arrival in Beijing: the inability to secure a framework agreement with Tehran had eroded Washington's diplomatic weight. As a result, according to several analysts cited by the newspaper, Xi Jinping held more cards. The Financial Times spoke of a "great wall of trust", while The Guardian concluded that Beijing was reaping the benefits where Washington was losing influence.
In this context, Putin's visit takes on additional significance. It marks the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good Neighborhoods, but it also comes at a time when Moscow is seeking guarantees: that the Sino-American rapprochement does not translate into a Russian abandonment. China is now Russia's top trading partner - it provides over a third of its imports and absorbs over a quarter of its exports.
For Islamabad, a strategic partner of Beijing through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), this sequence confirms that China is playing on multiple boards simultaneously: it receives Trump with honors while consolidating its axis with Moscow. Dawn describes Beijing as a "stable and reliable" partner facing an erratic and coercive American policy - a framing that resonates in a Pakistan accustomed to Washington's policy U-turns.
KEY POINTS
- Trump arrived in Beijing with a weakened lever after the failure of his tariff offensive (up to 145%) and the impasse in Iran, according to Dawn
- China responded by restricting its exports of rare earths, forcing Washington to back down and sign a commercial truce with a one-year expiration clause (October 2025)
- Putin's visit marks the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty and fits into a partnership where China represents over a third of Russia's imports and absorbs over a quarter of its exports
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Sino-centric framing: Dawn gives a wide berth to China's superior position, presented as structural against a weakened Trump
Preference for partnership stability: the newspaper implicitly values the coherence of Beijing's strategy by contrast with American unilateralism, a framing favorable to CPEC interests
Limited coverage of the Ukrainian dimension: Putin's visit is treated under the bilateral Sino-Russian angle without delving into the implications for the Ukraine conflict
SOURCES (1)
DawnCenter-left
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