The World’s Rivals Keep Coming to Beijing.

That Is No Accident.

By Alain Nzeyimana | October 24, 2026

Kim Jong Un has reportedly arrived in China. Donald Trump is expected at November’s APEC summit in Shenzhen, while a possible meeting involving Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping is under discussion. The agenda remains uncertain, but the geopolitical significance is hard to ignore.

Look at the contradictions. Washington and Moscow remain divided over Ukraine, yet US-Russia diplomacy is exploring renewed negotiations involving Kyiv. Putin and Xi maintain a strategic partnership, while India deepens ties with Russia and continues balancing its relationships with Washington and Beijing.

Then there is Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose 2023 agreement to restore diplomatic relations was brokered by China after years of hostility.

These countries do not share the same interests. Some are rivals; others are partners with competing ambitions. Yet Beijing remains relevant to all these calculations.

That is China's geopolitical advantage: its importance does not depend on its visitors agreeing with one another.

Every visit is not a secret negotiation, and not every diplomatic encounter produces a breakthrough. But when competing powers repeatedly engage with the same capital, China gains access to conversations that shape trade, security and the international order.

The question is no longer simply why world leaders visit China. It is how many global disputes can be managed without Beijing playing a role.

Alain Nzeyimana | Founder & CEO | Verifyr & BuyRent