Overview
- Xi Jinping has hosted Britain’s Keir Starmer, Canada’s Mark Carney and Finland’s Petteri Orpo in recent weeks, following Emmanuel Macron’s December visit, with Germany’s Friedrich Merz expected to travel next.
- Recent engagements yielded concrete outcomes, including Canada relaxing tariffs on China-made electric vehicles in exchange for eased barriers on Canadian farm goods and an EU-China shift from EV tariffs to minimum-price commitments.
- The United States announced withdrawals from 66 multilateral organizations in January and is pursuing a transactional posture that has created a diplomatic opening for Beijing.
- China is presenting itself as a steady partner, pointing to 2025 economic data showing roughly 5% growth and a record trade surplus driven by exports to non-U.S. markets.
- European and other governments are pursuing selective cooperation while tightening security measures, and middle powers are leveraging niche strengths in chips, icebreakers and shipbuilding to preserve autonomy between Washington and Beijing.