According to IMF estimates, China’s share of global GDP peaked at roughly 18.5 percent in 2021 and is expected to fall to around 16.5% by the end of 2025. China's economic slowdown reflects the exhaustion of the “catch-up growth” model that powered China's rise over the past four decades. The country's demographic challenges may prove even more severe than those faced by Japan.
Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing in a much weaker position than he did more than four years ago. Viktor Orban and Benjamin Netanyahu are wanted by the International Criminal Court as suspected war criminals. With the exception of Xi Jinping, all the other strongmen have been politically weakened and their countries’ global standing has been undermined.
The U.S.-China summit held in Beijing on May 14, 2026 has made it clear what shape U.s.-China relations will take for the remainder of the second Trump administration. The term "constructive and stable strategic relationship" is likely to carry a host of implications. The biggest cause of deteriorating Japan-China relations is Taiwan. Xi said at the summit that "Taiwanese independence and peace in the Taiwan Strait are fundamentally incompatible"
Taiwan's opposition parties call for a special legislative briefing on the Trump-Xi summit on May 21. They are concerned about the implications of the recent meeting for cross-strait relations, national security, diplomacy, and trade. The motion was advanced to the next legislative stage after cross-party consultations.
Xi Jinping and Donald Trump concluded their Beijing summit with the adoption of "constructive strategic stability" as the guiding framework for managing their intensifying competition. The framework reflects a long-held Chinese strategic aspiration. It also reflects Washington’s recognition of China as a near-peer – if not already a coequal – in the global system.
Professor Heberer is concerned with the relationship between Deutschland and China. He asks Professor Heberer about China's status as a partner of Germany and as a potential partner of the Volksrepublik. He also asks questions about the relations between China and the Volksstaat.
Dr. George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs. He is the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures and a New York Times bestselling author. His most popular book is The Next 100 Years. For almost 20 years he was the CEO and then chairman of Stratfor, a company he founded in 1996.
Beijing has become indispensable to both Trump and Putin and will continue to expand its power. This should be a wake-up call for America and Europe. Jochen Stahnke, Beijing May 23, 2026, 3:01 p.m.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin held a high-profile bilateral summit in the Chinese capital on May 19 and 20. They signed a joint declaration on creating a “multipolar world and a new type of international relations” The declaration was among 20 agreements signed during the summit at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.