President Putin and President Xi [EPA Yonhap News Archive Photo]

As U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his 2-day, 3-night visit to China, attention is turning to the upcoming visits by leaders of so-called "pro-China" countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On the 15th, Global Times, an English-language newspaper affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily, reported, citing Russia's TASS and Pakistan's Dawn, that President Putin and Prime Minister Sharif plan to visit China soon.

According to previous local reports, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian Kremlin, indicated that preparations for President Putin's visit to China are nearing completion, suggesting the visit is imminent.

Russian local media outlet Vedomosti newspaper, citing sources, reported that President Putin would visit China around next week.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing multiple sources, reported on the same day that President Putin is expected to visit China for a one-day trip on the 20th of this month.

The sources added that President Putin's visit is part of regular exchanges between Russia and China, and that there is little possibility of grand parades or welcome ceremonies.

Given that Chinese officials have been busy preparing for President Trump's visit, it will be difficult to hold large-scale welcoming events for President Putin's visit, the sources explained.

Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan, who is mediating between the U.S. and Iran, will also visit China for three days starting from the 23rd.

The Pakistani side explained that the purpose of the visit is to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, including energy and digital connectivity. However, experts believe that discussions on the prolonged Middle Eastern instability will also take place.

Amidst the international geopolitical landscape where the Ukraine war and Middle Eastern tensions intersect, the successive visits of the Russian and Pakistani leaders to China shortly after the U.S.-China summit are also being interpreted as China further solidifying its influence over these countries and challenging the U.S.-centric "uni-polar system."

Indeed, President Xi Jinping mentioned the "Thucydides Trap" theory during the U.S.-China summit, stating that rising powers inevitably clash with established powers, and emphasized coexistence based on a G2 framework.

SCMP specifically noted that it is the first time China is inviting both the U.S. and Russian presidents in the same month, calling it an unusual diplomatic schedule outside of multilateral events.

Interpretations within China suggest that countries are recognizing China's expanding global influence and seeking closer ties.

Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Lanzhou University Afghan Research Center, argued in Global Times, "The expansion of China's influence in governance, development, and economic cooperation is prompting various countries to seek cooperation with China. This reflects their recognition of China's development potential and its role as a major power."

There are also analyses suggesting that these moves will not necessarily lead to triangular diplomacy between the U.S., China, and Russia over the Iran war.

Even if the U.S. and China agree on the need to manage the Middle East situation, it is difficult to immediately translate into a united front to pressure Russia.

The international affairs publication 'The Diplomat' pointed out that, unlike the U.S.-China summit during the Richard Nixon presidency, which aimed to further isolate the Soviet Union through improved U.S.-China relations, the current U.S.-China summit is unlikely to exert pressure on Russia regarding issues in Iran or Ukraine.