Putin in China: How Xi insulted Trump by giving bigger, grander reception to Russian leader

Putin's Beijing schedule has been read as a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump, with Vladimir Putin receiving a higher‑level welcome and warmer optics, from airport protocol to shared laughs after talks. China’s choice to send its foreign minister for Putin—but a lower‑ranked official for Trump—fuels debate over Beijing’s shifting priorities and deepening strategic comfort with Moscow.