US President Donald Trump might now “more clearly” understand that the US “cannot defeat China” but that it must instead engage a stronger Beijing, according to a prominent Chinese political scientist.

Zheng Yongnian, an adviser to the Chinese government, also noted that Beijing had taken a “central position” in trilateral ties between China, the United States and Russia.

The back-to-back summits will mark the first time China has hosted the leaders of the White House and the Kremlin in the same month outside a multilateral setting, highlighting Beijing’s efforts to manage ties with both countries and position itself as a pivotal power amid an increasingly fractured global order.

During his visit, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping “will exchange views on bilateral cooperation across various fields as well as on international and regional issues of common interest,” according to China’s foreign ministry.

“Both sides will … continue to advance the China-Russia relationship to a deeper level and a higher standard, injecting more stability and positive energy into the world,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

Zheng, dean of the School of Public Policy at the Shenzhen campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said Russia’s war in Ukraine could be on the agenda between the two leaders.