Beijing Summit: Xi and Putin Denounce U.S. Policy as Taiwan Seeks Trump Dialogue

Meeting in Beijing just days after a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and the Chinese leadership, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement condemning U.S. military policy. The two leaders specifically targeted the 'Golden Dome' missile shield plan proposed by the Trump administration, describing it as a destabilizing force in global security. Despite the display of unity and 'tea diplomacy,' the summit finished without the long-expected breakthrough on a major natural gas pipeline deal, suggesting that economic friction remains a hurdle even among close allies.

In a separate diplomatic development, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te expressed a willingness to engage in direct dialogue with President Trump. Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. remains committed to providing Taiwan with defensive capabilities, though the lack of formal diplomatic ties makes direct presidential communication a sensitive geopolitical flashpoint. Lai's comments signal Taipei's desire to maintain a robust relationship with Washington amid increasing pressure from Beijing.

The limitations of recent multilateralism were also evident at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi. The talks concluded without a joint statement, exposing deep internal divisions regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While nations like Iran and the UAE are now part of the expanded bloc, the failure to reach a consensus on regional security highlights the challenges the BRICS group faces in transforming its economic weight into a unified political voice.