China hosts 26 foreign leaders in 2026

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is the latest high-level official in a steady stream of world leaders visiting China this year. Her three-day trip to Beijing is expected to include meetings with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng, after which she will travel to the southern tech hub Shenzhen for a program focused on science and technology.

According to Al Jazeera statistics, Cooper is the 26th foreign leader or high-ranking official to visit China this year. The list includes presidents, prime ministers, federal chancellors, crown princes, and foreign secretaries from 23 countries.

Leaders from Ireland, South Korea, Canada, Finland, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Germany, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Vietnam, Mozambique, Iran, Tajikistan, the United States, Seychelles, Moldova, Singapore, Serbia, Brazil, and Laos have visited China this year.

Trade and global diplomacy

The leaders came from all major regions, including Europe (10), Asia (8), the Middle East (2), Africa (2), North America (2), and Latin America (2). The most prominent visitors include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in order of their visits.

The flow of guests is especially noteworthy as Chinese President Xi Jinping has spent the year receiving foreign heads of state at home rather than traveling abroad. Many leaders are seeking new investment opportunities, greater access to the Chinese market, or cooperation in areas such as manufacturing, technology, energy, and infrastructure.

Some visits come from leaders and officials of countries Beijing considers key strategic partners, including Russia and Pakistan, both of which have sent multiple high-level officials to China this year. For many countries, China is simultaneously a vital export market, a source of investment, a diplomatic partner, and an increasingly influential geopolitical power.

European leaders dominate visits

Europe is particularly well-represented, accounting for about one-third of the countries on the list. Visits from leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and Finland show that European governments are keen to work closely with Beijing despite disagreements over trade, security, and China's relationship with Russia.

China's biggest trading partner

China's total foreign trade in goods reached a record 45 trillion yuan ($6.5 trillion) in 2025, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, maintaining its position as the world's largest goods-trading nation for the ninth consecutive year. Late last year, China's trade surplus was reported to have hit $1 trillion for the first time, a milestone in its role as the 'world's factory.'

China has a diverse range of trading partners. The largest is the United States. In 2025, despite tit-for-tat tariffs between the two sides for much of the year, total goods trade between the two countries stood at $414.7 billion, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Vietnam ranked second, reflecting the rapid development of Southeast Asian supply chains, followed by Japan, South Korea, and India.

What does China sell to the world?

Over the past few decades, China has shifted from producing cheap goods like T-shirts and shoes to higher-value products such as electric vehicles and solar panels. Today, the largest sector is electronics, with over $1 trillion in electronic goods exported worldwide in 2024. Top exports also include machinery, textiles, metals, and automobiles.