Key facts
- Chinese President Xi Jinping has hosted numerous foreign leaders in Beijing throughout 2026.
- Visits included leaders from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Mozambique, and others.
- Xi Jinping made a rare overseas trip to North Korea.
- The meetings are seen as an effort by China to increase its global influence and promote a multipolar world order.
- Leaders from countries like the US (Donald Trump) and Russia (Vladimir Putin) have also met with Xi Jinping.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has significantly increased his diplomatic engagements in 2026, hosting a wide array of global leaders in Beijing and undertaking foreign travel, signaling China's growing international influence.
Throughout the year, Xi has met with leaders from countries including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Belarus. Notably, he traveled to North Korea, marking his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019 and his first overseas journey of the year. In total, 20 national leaders have engaged with Xi in Beijing in 2026, a list that includes prominent figures such as US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
These high-level meetings are interpreted as China's strategy to promote an alternative multipolar world order and to foster economic ties, particularly among "middle-power" countries seeking to chart independent relationships with Beijing. Analysts suggest this approach aims to weaken these countries' reliance on the US and position China as a source of stability and financial support.
Xi's engagement extends to leaders of authoritarian regimes, as evidenced by the red-carpet treatment afforded to Myanmar's military chief-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing. This approach, according to experts, aligns with Xi's broader project to influence the international order by emphasizing non-interference in domestic affairs and shifting the balance of power towards the Global South, with China at its center.
Original sources indicate that US President Donald Trump was scheduled for a summit with Xi Jinping in May, and Russian President Vladimir Putin was also slated for a visit before the end of June. Mozambique President Daniel Chapo's visit in April marked the first time an African head of state met with Xi in 2026.