00:00The most important diplomatic week in years is not over, because Vladimir Putin just landed
00:05in Beijing. Less than five days after Donald Trump left the Chinese capital, the Russian
00:11president is now sitting across from Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Think about
00:16what that image means. The leader of Russia, under massive Western sanctions, waging war
00:22in Ukraine, is being hosted with full state honors in Beijing, back-to-back with the
00:27president of the United States. Xi Jinping is playing both sides of the most consequential
00:32global rivalry in decades. And doing it openly, Putin and Xi are expected to sign a declaration
00:38on building a, quote, multipolar world and advancing what Moscow calls a new type of international
00:45relations, language both countries use as code for a world no longer dominated by U.S.-led
00:51alliances. On the agenda, energy. Russia's oil exports to China grew by 35% in the first
00:58quarter of 2026. The power of Siberia-Hong gas pipeline, a massive long-term deal, is now
01:06within reach of a final agreement. On the agenda, Ukraine. On the agenda, Iran. Xi is the one
01:13player who has leverage over both Washington and Moscow simultaneously. What he does with
01:18it will shape the next decade of global power.
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