China-Russia joint declaration from Beijing summit puts more pressure on Trump

U.S. President’s options in ending Iran war on his terms, are not working

By Nitya Chakraborty

The joint declaration made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin after their summit in Beijing on May 20 has major ramifications on the global geopolitics in the context of the present unilateral actions of the U.S. President Donald Trump including the launching of war against Iran which still is m not over.

The main thrust is the decision of Russia and China to set up a joint front against the USA blaming the Trump regime for global return to the law of the jungle. Significantly, this declaration was made by China and Russia after five days of the Xi-Trump summit held in Beijing on May 15. Though there was no joint declaration, both sides expressed happiness at the continuing improvement in the bilateral relations between China and the USA. Though the breakthrough took place only in business and economic discussions, there were much discussions on Iran war and Taiwan also. However, officially, Chinese side gave no details about the outcome.

In May 20 summit, however, President Xi came out more openly on Iran war and said that in Iran, further conflict was inadvisable and a ceasefire was necessary. President Xi said that a comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important. What was more significant that in the joint statement, China and Russia took aim at Trump’s plans for a US$ 175 billion Golden Dome defence system which would create a new missile field in the middle east. Both the leaders also criticized the expiry of the last US-Russia arms control treaty fell to the wayside in February 2026 when the U.S. President did not respond to Moscow’s proposal for extension.

The joint declaration of Russia and China is going to have its impact on the present peace making efforts on Iran war. Trump discussed the issue with President Xi on May 15 but it was not fruitful. On May 20, President Xi made his position on Iran war more clearer by saying that negotiations and not war have to be the instrument for ending Iran war. So whatever claims, Trump is now making that he is ready for fiercer attack against Iran if Tehran does not agree immediately to a deal, his options are not working.

Trump also knows that he has to agree to a solution on the basis of three draft proposals, Trump’s own peace plan, Tehran’s peace plan and China’s four point formula. Both Trump and Tehran have to agree to a compromise solution to end the war. The joint declaration of China and Russia is a strong reminder to Trump that he has to resort to negotiations only for ending the Iran war.

Among the chief topics of discussion was the energy sector, which Putin called the “driving force of economic cooperation” in Russian-Chinese relations. China asserted itself as a major buyer of Russian oil and trading partner after Western countries largely cut economic ties with Moscow in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to Al Zajeera correspondent in Beijing, while the two leaders planned to sign some 40 agreements covering everything from the economy and tourism to education, energy security remained Putin’s priority. “Since the war in Ukraine, any gas sales that were previously heading to Europe, that is all dried up, and Russia is in desperate need of revenue to replace that,” she said. The talks did not lead to a new consensus on a long-discussed gas pipeline known as Power of Siberia

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the two sides had reached a “basic understanding” on the pipeline, including its route, but that there was no “clear timeline” for a rollout. All indications suggest that despite keen Russian interest in this gas pipeline, Putin failed to persuade President Xi to agree the implementation of the project on a priority basis. Russia needs it now as its West European customers have dried up, but China has its own considerations, therefore is the delay and no finalization of the much expected deal.

China analysts have observed that President Xi treated President Trump as equal and gave him gala reception as the head of the country with largest economic power. China had lot of expectations from Trump from the summit. But in Putin’s case, Russia is a lesser power now compared to Soviet days and also Putin is under economic stress. He needs President Xi more than China needs Russia. That way, President Xi also while giving Putin all the due respect and the fanfare of the celebrations, made it clear that China is the big brother. Putin is reconciled to it as that is the ground reality.

Xi, for his part, said Beijing and Moscow had deepened “political mutual trust and strategic cooperation” in a world that is “increasingly chaotic” and where “hegemony is overwhelming”. The comments made it clear that “Beijing and Moscow share a depth of established trust that simply does not exist between China and the US”. . But at the same time, President Xi is ambitious and he is looking for taking China forward to emerge as the supreme economic power by 2049, the centenary year of the Communist China. His vision is primarily directed that way, the other issues and partners are secondary. (IPA Service)