Xi Jinping
Xi opened the World AI Conference in Shanghai, launched a 29-country AI governance body, marked the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China treaty, and is steering toward a September U.S. visit amid a military purge and a science self-reliance push.
Xi Jinping stands at the center of a simultaneous diplomatic, technological, and party-control offensive this July, with a September Washington visit and the 21st National Congress in late 2027 as his two fixed points.
On July 17, Xi opened the ninth World AI Conference in Shanghai and spearheaded the launch of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a 29-country intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai aimed at Global South AI governance and preventing what Beijing calls "digital dependence." He is keynoting the conference personally for the first time, signaling China's ambition to move from rule-taker to rule-maker in global AI governance. The push is paired with a hardware-autonomy effort — Huawei's Atlas 950 computing node bypassing U.S. chips — as Stanford's 2026 AI Index shows the U.S.-China AI model performance gap has narrowed to 2.7 points. Xi told Chinese scientists at a July 8 Beijing congress to achieve high-level science and technology self-reliance by 2035, designating the 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan as the critical window, a direct response to U.S. AI chip export controls.
Xi marked the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China strategic partnership on July 16, with both sides framing the relationship as a "model" for a multipolar world order, pushing de-dollarization and coordination through BRICS and the SCO. Russia and China concluded Joint Sea-2026 naval exercises off Qingdao on July 13, following a May summit with Putin that produced over 40 cooperation agreements. Xi called bilateral ties "the highest level in history," with joint Pacific patrols scheduled next.
He elevated China-DPRK relations to a "new strategic level" for the 65th anniversary of the friendship treaty, hosting Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing after a June Pyongyang summit with Kim Jong Un, where Kim pledged support for China's core interests on Taiwan. Xi also hosted Namibian President Nandi-Ndaitwah for a state visit, signing eight cooperation agreements including access to critical minerals — uranium, lithium, and rare earths.
A July Pew survey shows China surpassing the U.S. in global favorability for the first time in 20 years, with Xi personally viewed more positively than Trump in 22 of 36 countries surveyed — a standing shift he can leverage in his September U.S. visit.
On the U.S. bilateral track, Xi is managing a live hostage-diplomacy friction. He released Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri around July 4 after Trump personally requested the pastor's freedom at their May Beijing summit — a calibrated concession that granted one religious-freedom ask. But Xi withheld the harder case of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, and American seismologist Youlin Chen, whom Xi promised Trump he would "look into," is now set for an espionage trial in Beijing. Chen's case is expected to be a primary topic in the September Washington visit, which Trump announced for around September 24, concurrent with the UN General Assembly.
Xi pursues what he calls "constructive strategic stability" with the U.S. — cooperation as mainstay, competition within proper limits — even as he reaffirms Taiwan reunification as an "unswerving historical mission," creating the central tension for the September visit as Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te pushes Washington to fast-track a $14 billion arms package.
At home, Xi tightened party and military control. He promoted two generals on July 3 — Zhang Shenguang to lead CMC anti-corruption discipline inspection and Wang Gang to command the PLA Air Force — advancing a military purge that has cut the seven-member Central Military Commission to just Xi and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin as active members. He used the CPC's 105th anniversary on July 1 to call for rigorous party self-governance and firm convictions to address "upcoming risks," ordering senior officials Wang Huning and Li Xi to implement discipline-inspection directives — framing the domestic tightening as the Party's path to the 2027 congress and the 2035 modernization goal.
His Ethnic Unity Law took effect July 1, mandating Mandarin instruction from preschool through high school, religious Sinicization, Party loyalty duties for parents, AI surveillance in Xinjiang and Tibet, and extraterritorial jurisdiction — drawing condemnation from the European Parliament, U.S. House members, Amnesty International, and the Central Tibetan Administration.
On their plate
Xi opened the ninth World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 17 and launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a 29-country body headquartered in Shanghai aimed at Global South AI governance and preventing digital dependence. He is keynoting the conference personally for the first time, paired with Huawei's Atlas 950 computing node designed to bypass U.S. chips as the U.S.-China AI model performance gap narrows to 2.7 points.
Xi anchored the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China strategic treaty on July 16, with both sides calling the relationship a model for a multipolar world order. This follows Joint Sea-2026 naval exercises off Qingdao and a May summit with Putin that produced over 40 cooperation agreements, with joint Pacific patrols scheduled next.
Trump announced Xi's Washington visit for around September 24, concurrent with the UN General Assembly. Xi released Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri after Trump's personal request at their May Beijing summit, but withheld Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, and American seismologist Youlin Chen — whom Xi promised to look into — is now set for espionage trial in Beijing, expected to be a primary September topic.
Xi promoted two generals on July 3, installing Zhang Shuguang as CMC Discipline Inspection Commission secretary and Wang Gang as PLA Air Force commander, leaving the seven-member Central Military Commission with only Xi and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin active. He used the CPC's 105th anniversary on July 1 to order rigorous self-governance ahead of the 2027 National Congress.
Xi told scientists at a July 8 Beijing congress to achieve high-level science and technology self-reliance by 2035, designating the 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan as critical amid U.S. chip export controls. His Ethnic Unity Law took effect July 1, mandating Mandarin instruction, religious Sinicization, AI surveillance in Xinjiang and Tibet, and extraterritorial jurisdiction, drawing international condemnation.
Key relationships
Xi met Trump at a May Beijing summit, released Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri as a goodwill gesture, but withheld Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai and let the Youlin Chen espionage case proceed to trial — all friction points heading into Xi's September Washington visit.
Xi held a June Pyongyang summit with Kim Jong Un where both agreed to broaden cooperation and elevated China-DPRK ties to a new strategic level, with Kim pledging support for China's core interests on Taiwan.
Xi met Putin at a May summit that produced over 40 cooperation agreements and jointly anchored the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China treaty, calling ties the highest level in history and launching Joint Sea-2026 naval exercises.
Xi hosted the Namibian president for a July 5-11 state visit, elevating ties to a shared-future community and signing eight cooperation agreements on infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, and critical minerals including uranium, lithium, and rare earths.
Xi and CMC vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin are the only two active members of the Central Military Commission after the military purge reduced the seven-member body to just the two of them.
Keep reading in the app
Where they stand, in full, free in the app.
Coming soonGoogle Play