Xi Jinping talks to Donald Trump, has video call with Vladimir Putin; what is China's plan?

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday, according to state media agency Xinhua. However, the Xinhua report provided no further details. The call came just hours after the Chinese leader spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Relations between the world's two largest economies have stabilized since Xi and Trump agreed on a trade deal last year in South Korea.

The two leaders are expected to meet four times this year, with a summit possible in April. However, Trump's recent actions in countries allied with China, such as Venezuela and Iran, have threatened that fragile peace. The US president has criticized Canada for making concessions to Beijing on trade matters and has taken steps to strengthen alternative supplies of rare earth minerals, aiming to weaken China's hold on these critical resources.

Was Vladimir Putin on a video call with Xi Jinping?

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed growing economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, as well as their relations with the United States, during a video call. The Kremlin leader accepted an invitation to visit China twice this year. The phone call comes amid meetings between Xi Jinping and Western leaders, where they are trying to strengthen ties with China despite disagreements over the Ukraine conflict. European leaders have been pressuring China for years to end its support for Russia, while Beijing has become Moscow's number one trading partner, providing relief from Western economic sanctions.

In his opening remarks, broadcast on Russian state television, Putin said, "I want to assure you once again that we firmly support our shared efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our countries, our socio-economic well-being, and the right to choose our own development path."

Following clashes with US President Donald Trump over tariffs and his demand to acquire Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, several of America's closest allies are now exploring opportunities with China. The Xi-Putin talks followed visits to Beijing last month by the British and Canadian prime ministers. The German Chancellor is also expected to visit Beijing in February. Putin said that amid growing global turbulence, the foreign policy relationship between Moscow and Beijing remains a key stabilizing factor.

Did Putin and Xi Discuss Relations with the US?

Briefing reporters after the Putin-Xi talks, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov emphasized that Moscow and Beijing support each other on key issues related to national interests in the face of external challenges. Ushakov said that Xi Jinping had invited Putin to visit China in the first six months of the year, and the Russian leader accepted the invitation. He added that Putin will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in November.

Ushakov said that Putin and Xi exchanged views on their countries' relations with the United States, noting that their views were "almost identical," including their assessment of US President Donald Trump's peace plan. Ushakov further stated that Russia and China stand for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation based on international law and the UN Charter. Putin had previously thanked Trump for the invitation to join the peace plan and said that Moscow would consider it. He had also offered to set aside $1 billion from frozen Russian assets in the US to help rebuild Gaza.