Xi visits Trump, then Putin, then Kim — Is Beijing quietly reshaping the Korean Peninsula before Washington notices?

The sequencing here is worth paying close attention to. In the span of two weeks, Xi Jinping hosted Trump in Beijing (May 14–15), then Putin (May 20), and now appears to be heading to Pyongyang — his first visit to North Korea in seven years. This isn't a coincidence of scheduling. This is a deliberate diplomatic sequence. What Beijing appears to be doing: first, stabilize relations with Washington enough to reduce immediate pressure. Then reaffirm the Russia–China axis. Then move on Pyongyang —