When the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, hosted President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Beijing on Wednesday for what China said was the Russian leader’s 25th visit, the elephant in the room was President Trump.
Less than a week earlier, the American president had made the journey to the Chinese capital. During that trip, Mr. Xi warned Mr. Trump against mishandling Taiwan and asked him to reopen the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran, as China seeks to stabilize its tumultuous relationship with the United States.
Mr. Putin’s visit, by contrast, was decidedly more familiar, even chummy.
Mr. Xi sat down with the Russian leader for tea. The two reminisced in front of photographs about Mr. Putin’s past visits. And while they chose measured words about the United States, the pair signed documents condemning much of what Mr. Trump is doing in the world, ultimately reaffirming their shared front.
Mr. Putin quipped, without Mr. Xi present, that the visit was taking place on the same day that Mao Zedong, 54 years earlier, had “called on the entire world to fight American imperialism.” Then, the Russian leader repeated the mantra that Moscow and Beijing were joining forces not “against anyone” else, but only in service of their own interests and of global harmony.
“We are ready to cooperate with everyone, including our partners around the world, including the United States,” Mr. Putin said.
Throughout the visit, Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin cast themselves as a stabilizing force in a world thrown into tumult by Washington.
