China is witnessing a new wave of high-level visits. Why now?

China is experiencing a surge in high-level diplomatic visits from global leaders, including the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Vietnamese President Tu Lam, and Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo. These visits reflect a growing international trend of seeking stability, economic security, and pragmatic cooperation amid escalating global tensions—particularly those stemming from U.S. foreign policy actions in the Middle East, including the recent attack on Iran and the resulting instability in the Strait of Hormuz. Experts Aynar Tangen and Kamal Makili-Aliev argue that nations are turning to China not only for its economic scale and market access but also for its consistent advocacy of multilateralism, sovereignty, and non-intervention—principles they contrast sharply with what they describe as U.S. exceptionalism and unpredictable behavior. China’s diplomatic positioning as a reliable, stable actor is seen as a key factor in this shift. Simultaneously, China’s foreign trade recorded robust growth in Q1 2026, with exports up 12% and imports surging 19.6%, driven by global demand for stability and China’s expanding market access through initiatives like zero tariffs for 53 African nations and the Belt and Road Initiative. Uruguay’s meat exports to China, particularly beef, are thriving, highlighting China’s role as a premium market for high-quality, traceable goods. In a parallel development, China is launching an ambitious AI Plus Education Initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into all levels of schooling by 2030, aiming to build human capital for the digital economy while addressing ethical concerns, equity, and the risk of over-reliance on AI in learning.