Is Beijing the world’s ‘living room’? China is enjoying the global stage, but there are limits to its influence

Beijing recently hosted a series of high-profile state visits, including those by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, placing China in the global spotlight. Chinese analysts noted that numerous other world leaders from France, Britain, Canada, and South Korea also visited Beijing in the preceding six months. Some leaders returned after significant intervals, with the UK prime minister's visit being the first in eight years, and Canadian, South Korean, and American leaders visiting for the first time in nine years. Chinese media embraced this diplomatic activity, describing the capital as an international “living room” offering stability in a turbulent world and proclaiming that “the world is entering ‘Beijing time.’”

However, this narrative of Beijing as a central global hub overlooks critical nuances. Analysts suggest that world leaders might be visiting China not due to proactive Chinese diplomacy, but as a strategic move to gain leverage in their dealings with the Trump administration. For instance, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's January visit was widely interpreted as a response to Canada's economic dependence on the U.S. and the perceived volatility of the Trump presidency, with some suggesting he was employing the "China card" for better negotiations with the U.S.

Furthermore, visits to Beijing often come with a significant "entry price." These summits have sometimes been linked to major policy shifts by visiting dignitaries. Trump, for example, reportedly backtracked on calls to block Chinese nationals from buying U.S. farmland and to limit Chinese students in the U.S. during his visit. Similarly, Carney's trip resulted in a trade deal that reduced tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 6.1% for the first 49,000 cars annually, a concession that drew criticism in Canada. Despite these diplomatic engagements, China's fundamental foreign policy stances have not shifted. European leaders' appeals did not alter Beijing's material support for Russia's war in Ukraine or reduce China's substantial trade surplus with the EU. Beijing also did not agree to assist the Trump administration on Iran.

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the world is entering ”Beijing time“