China in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In February 2026, China's diplomacy centred on the United States and Russia. In early February, President Xi Jinping held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. With Putin he discussed bilateral ties and the expiring New START treaty; with Trump he stressed mutual respect and China's position on Taiwan, and warned the US to be prudent about arms sales to the island. Beijing said such sales could endanger a planned Trump visit in April, and a summit in Beijing was reported for early April. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met at the Munich Security Conference and agreed to strengthen dialogue, and US, Russian and Chinese delegations discussed nuclear arms control in Geneva.
In Hong Kong, a court sentenced publisher Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on February 9 under the national security law. The United Nations called for his release, the US Secretary of State called the verdict unjust and tragic, and Hong Kong authorities defended it. China summoned Western envoys over their criticism. On February 26 a court overturned his fraud conviction, though he remains in jail facing separate national security charges.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made his first official visit to China in the last week of the month. He met Xi on February 25, and the two countries issued a joint statement pledging to deepen cooperation. Merz reportedly asked China to use its influence on Ukraine. At Munich, Wang Yi had called for China-Germany relations to reach a new level and described Europe and China as partners, not systemic rivals.
Relations with Japan deteriorated. Wang Yi warned of the ghosts of militarism in a rebuke aimed at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan lodged protests, and Chinese officials later urged the world to resist Japan's neo-militarist moves. On Iran, China urged the US to avoid war on February 26 and on February 28 demanded that the US and Israel halt strikes and accept a ceasefire. At home, China removed nine military lawmakers from the national legislature in what reports called a widening defense purge.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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