Beijing has embarked on an intensive burst of diplomatic activity in the weeks before an anticipated summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, scheduled for mid-May. In roughly one week, China hosted senior leaders from Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and Russia, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to Pyongyang for his first visit to North Korea in seven years — moves analysts describe as a calculated effort to shore up regional relationships, manage potential flashpoints, and project stability before the high-stakes talks. Observers say Beijing's core aim is to avoid entering the summit in a reactive or isolated position, ensuring any tensions in its neighbourhood — from the Korean Peninsula to the Taiwan Strait — remain on terms it can control rather than as vulnerabilities Washington could exploit.