תחילה טראמפ, לאחר מכן פוטין: מי יצא כאשר ידו על העליונה? | פרשנות

Within a week, China's Xi Jinping met face-to-face with President Trump, and then with Vladimir Putin, both in Beijing. It's being seen as one of China's biggest diplomatic weeks in recent years. And it's raising an immediate question. When you compare the two visits, the ceremonies, the delegations and the deals, who actually came out on top? Here's our analysis. On the surface, the two arrivals look remarkably similar. Both leaders got the ceremonial works. Red carpets, children waving national flags, a military band on Tiananmen Square, a state banquet, and a personal tea meeting with Xi himself. Look closely, however. Trump was greeted at the airport by China's Vice President. Putin's airport reception was handled by the foreign minister. On the Chinese side, the seating arrangements were also revealing. One additional member of the Politburo Standing Committee, serving as first Executive Vice Premier, sat with Xi during the Putin meeting. But he didn't appear at the meeting with President Trump. Xi Jinping must receive President Trump warmly due to the immense weight and importance of the U.S.-China relationship. He also needs to demonstrate to the Chinese public that he can manage this critical relationship effectively. In contrast, Xi's warm reception of Putin serves a quite different purpose. First, to show Trump that he holds a Russian card. And second, to retain Putin's loyalty. President Trump's visit lasted three days. He arrived alongside several top officials, including the Secretary of State, the Defense Secretary, the Treasury Secretary, and the U.S. Trade Representative. The agenda centered on trade and economy, with Washington pushing for China to buy more American goods. Putin's trip was shorter. It ran for two days. But his delegation was notably larger. He brought nearly half the Cabinet, including five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, and the head of Russia's central bank. After Trump's visit, there was no joint statement or formal agreement. But both sides did announce the creation of two new committees focused on trade and investment. The White House said China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft. It also pledged to buy at least $17 billion in U.S. farm products annually for the next three years, beginning this year. On top of that, Beijing committed to continuing an existing agreement to buy U.S. soybeans. The contrast with the Putin summit was clear. Beijing and Moscow issued a joint statement pledging to deepen their strategic cooperation and signed more than 40 cooperation agreements. With Washington, Beijing kept its message simple. Stable ties, no rupture. And with Moscow, it signed a full slate of new agreements, signaling that the China-Russia partnership hasn't been shaken by U.S. engagement. Some analysts say Xi came out as the clear winner. As host, he benefited from what some call a home court advantage, using the week to project Beijing as the central hub of global diplomacy. Xi did reap some host dividend, but mostly in appearance rather than substance. Xi was essentially coerced into committing to purchase more U.S. goods and made no meaningful progress in persuading the U.S. to reduce military support for Taiwan. But on Russia's side, he was forced to provide even more resources to prop up Putin and his world effort. Overall, it's a case of damage control, losing more or losing less, or giving more or giving less, rather than a clear diplomatic victory. And there may be more to come. Reports suggest Xi may soon visit North Korea. If that happens, it would send a clear signal China's influence isn't limited to Russia. North Korea is also on the table. Together, these moves appear designed to show that the multipolar world Beijing and Moscow talk about isn't just a vision. It's already taking shape. The U.S. can easily counter that by deepening its relationship with Taiwan. Ultimately, whether a true multipolar world order emerges depends on the actual strength of nations. The Chinese Communist Party is currently mired in a sluggish economy with no clear solution in sight. In the long run, history will likely show that Xi's diplomatic maneuvers will not address China's core problems and will yield little result.