Why did Xi hold back-to-back calls with Putin, Trump?

China’s leader Xi Jinping held back-to-back calls with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump this week, timing analysts said on Thursday was rare and significant as Beijing positions itself as a stable global power. Here is what to know about the talks: Xi’s video call with Putin on Wednesday afternoon was followed just hours later by a phone call with Trump. “The timing of the call is rare and interesting. It is not common for Xi to have two calls with Putin and Trump,” George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group wrote in an online commentary. Xi…