First Trump, Then Putin: Who Came Out on Top? | China in Focus

May 22, 2026 - 09:50

One week, two world leaders—U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin—were both in Beijing on different days. Same stage, very different agendas. So who came out on top?
Following closely on the heels of Trump’s visit, Putin was in Beijing on Wednesday, securing some new China-Russia agreements and drawing reactions from U.S. allies across the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said he is open to speaking directly with Trump. Both Beijing and Taipei are now reacting as Washington weighs a major arms sale to the island.
Two China hawks were nominated as ambassadors to key U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Both signaled a tougher approach toward the Chinese Communist Party.
When it comes to the AI race, what is the scale of Chinese infrastructure supporting data centers? And what steps would be needed to unwind it? Rex Lee joins us.