Xi and Putin Scold U.S. Over Golden Dome Plan in Beijing
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin used talks in Beijing on Wednesday to present a united front against Donald Trump’s $175bn golden dome missile defense plan. China and Russia said the project would create a new missile field in the Midwest and paired that criticism with a broader warning about the expiry of the last U.S.-Russia arms control treaty.
Beijing talks with Putin
Xi told Putin that China and Russia had deepened their political mutual trust and strategic coordination, using language that framed the summit as more than a routine bilateral meeting. Xi said, "We have been able to continuously deepen our political mutual trust and strategic coordination with a resilience that remains unyielding despite trials and tribulations," as the two presidents also said they wanted to strengthen ties and cooperation.
Putin responded by casting energy as the main engine of the relationship. "Even against the backdrop of unfavourable external factors, our interaction and economic cooperation demonstrate strong momentum," he said in Beijing, where the leaders were expected to advance work on dozens of agreements across the economy, tourism, education and energy.
Golden Dome criticism
The joint statement from China and Russia targeted Trump’s Golden Dome project directly, saying the plan would create a new missile field in the Midwest. That criticism was paired with their complaint that the last U.S.-Russia arms control treaty had fallen by the wayside in February, when Trump failed to respond to Moscow’s proposal to extend it by a year.
The Beijing language also pushed beyond the missile-defense plan itself. The statement warned of a danger of fragmentation of the international community and a return to the law of the jungle, while saying attempts by a number of states to unilaterally manage global affairs had failed.
Iran and arms control
Xi also told Putin that further conflict in the United States-Israeli war on Iran was inadvisable and that a ceasefire was necessary. "A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important," Xi said, bringing a second security flashpoint into the same summit.
The leaders met a week after Xi hosted Trump in Beijing, underscoring how quickly the diplomatic setting has shifted between Washington, Beijing and Moscow. The talks did not produce a new consensus on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, leaving energy cooperation as an open item even as both governments moved forward on the broader package of 40 agreements.
