Within days of each other, Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet in Beijing for two of the world’s most powerful and controversial leaders: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The near-identical military ceremonies, cannon salutes and choreographed welcomes were carefully designed to project China as the indispensable centre of global diplomacy.

The planet’s two most powerful chiefs locked horns in Beijing last week, with the whole world assessing every syllable and twitch from both. It was part performative theater, part…

Just days after hosting Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping is set to welcome Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The meetings underscore Beijing's growing role in a fractured…