Xi Rolls Out Red Carpet for Putin, Knocks US Dominance

China just rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, and it used the occasion to swipe at Washington. Meeting in Beijing days after Xi Jinping hosted US President Trump, the Chinese leader praised relations with Moscow as a stabilizing force of "calm amid chaos" in a turbulent world and urged deeper "strategic coordination," per CNN. In language long used to criticize US policy, Xi also warned of "unilateral hegemonic" behavior and, alongside Putin, condemned the US "Golden Dome" missile defense plan as a threat to global strategic balance, reports Reuters.

The two leaders signed a joint statement backing a "multipolar" world order, per the Moscow Times. Xi also weighed in on the US-Israeli war against Iran, calling for a rapid end to fighting to protect energy supplies and trade. The visit, Putin's first to China since the latest Middle East conflict and his 25th overall as Russia's leader, showcased their expanding "no limits" partnership in trade, security, and diplomacy, even as Russia's battlefield setbacks in Ukraine and economic reliance on China underscore the growing imbalance in the relationship.