Like two old brothers in arms, the Russian and Chinese presidents met with smiles and a warm handshake during a regional summit in Tianjin, the vast port city in northeastern China, on Sunday, August 31. Russian leader Vladimir Putin even appeared to be joking on Monday, when he and Xi Jinping shared a moment of camaraderie with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was distancing himself from the US in response to the increased tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump. But the real China-Russia talks took place in Beijing on Tuesday, September 2. One-on-one, between the two powers, between two friends. "Our relations are at an unprecedented level," Putin said, while Xi praised their "comprehensive strategic cooperation" and reaffirmed the desire to work together for "the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system." In other words, one less dominated by the West.

On Wednesday, Putin was to be given a place of honor at the podium in front of the Forbidden City on Tiananmen Square. Alongside North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and 24 other foreign leaders, he was to attend the grand military parade organized by Xi, just as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party had attended the parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9.

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