It was nothing less than a bid to legitimize a new international order centered around Beijing and Moscow. What both meetings had in common was that the United States was physically absent but very much present in what motivated each gathering. Beijing was testing the readiness of non-Western powers to coalesce and fill whatever global leadership vacuum the US president wishes to leave. By contrast, Paris was an anxious signal that others must carry greater burdens if Washington is unwilling to do so. The question is not only which vision will prevail, but also what role the United States will play in determining that outcome—and the global future.