By Ginika Igboke
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping held separate talks on the same day with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing global issues and pledging a sharp increase in purchases of American agricultural products.
Analysts say the diplomatic outreach comes amid intense internal tensions within the CCP following the recent removal of senior military figures, suggesting Xi may be seeking to leverage foreign relations to reinforce his domestic position and project stability abroad.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Xi spoke separately with Putin and Trump on Feb. 4 and invited both leaders to visit China.
Trump later confirmed the conversation on Truth Social, describing it as a “long and thorough call” and characterizing his relationship with Xi as “extremely good.”
According to Trump, Xi committed to purchasing 20 million tons of U.S. soybeans this quarter and another 25 million tons next quarter—significantly exceeding last year’s total annual agreement of 25 million tons. China also plans to increase imports of U.S. oil, natural gas, and aircraft engines.
Earlier the same day, Xi held a video meeting with Putin at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where the two leaders discussed strengthening multilateral cooperation as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
Tang Jingyuan, a U.S.-based current affairs commentator, said on his “Foresight” program that official statements indicated neither call was made at the request of the other party, suggesting Xi initiated both conversations.
He noted the symbolism of speaking with Trump—seen as a chief geopolitical rival—and Putin—regarded as a key strategic partner—on the same day.
“This shows that Xi has important matters to discuss with them and cannot delegate these conversations to others,” Tang said.
Military Purge Raises Questions at Home
Analysts link the outreach to growing unrest within China’s political and military establishment following the removal of top generals.
On Jan. 24, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CCP’s Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a commission member and chief of the Joint Staff Department, had been removed from their posts and placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
Tang said Xi may have underestimated the backlash from purging such high-ranking figures.
“People within the system are remaining silent and unsupportive,” Tang said, describing the muted response from military and party organs as unusual compared with past purges, when expressions of loyalty were issued quickly.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) held a special meeting on Feb. 4 and revoked the representative status of three executives from state-owned defense enterprises. However, it did not announce the removal of Zhang’s or Liu’s NPC credentials, which Tang described as a setback for Xi’s efforts to formalize the purge through established procedures.
According to Tang, Xi’s invitations to Trump and Putin may be aimed at projecting international stature to offset domestic uncertainty.
“Xi offers huge purchases of American products to Trump, exchanging economic concessions for political returns such as a potential visit to China,” Tang said. “He believed this would promote his international status, which could help stabilize his power domestically.”
Tang added that seeking visible engagement with major world leaders could help Xi bolster his image amid internal political challenges.
“If Xi were truly secure in his position, he wouldn’t need to spend huge money to invite others to shore up his power,” he said.Projecting Stability Abroad
Lai Rongwei, a Taiwanese researcher on international relations and head of the Taiwan Inspirational Association, said Xi faces mounting domestic pressures, including frequent leadership changes within the military.
“The world is having doubts about the stability of his regime and whether he’s fully in control,” Lai said. “He needs to present a facade of stability to the domestic population and project an image to the international community that his regime is steady.”
The coordinated outreach to Washington and Moscow, Lai said, underscores Beijing’s desire to demonstrate that it remains a central player in global affairs alongside the United States and Russia.
Limited Policy Impact Expected
Shen Ming-shih, a research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the calls were unlikely to involve formal negotiations or major breakthroughs.
“The outcome will likely be limited to expressing each other’s positions and ideas,” Shen said.
He added that Xi may have moved quickly to speak with Trump after his call with Putin to avoid the perception that Beijing and Moscow were coordinating against Washington.
“Most importantly, Xi Jinping needs to quickly call Trump after speaking with Putin to avoid any misunderstanding about whether China and Russia are colluding,” Shen said.
While Chinese state media emphasized Xi’s diplomatic stature, Shen noted that there were no public commitments from the United States or Russia indicating policy shifts.
Trump’s willingness to visit China, Shen said, does not signal a change in U.S. policy.
“It’s merely a response to recent developments in China,” he said. “If Trump visits, discussions would likely focus on economic issues such as tariffs and rare earths rather than any fundamental reset in relations.”
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