It is no coincidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin chose the birthday of Chinese President Xi Jinping for negotiations, writes Mingxing Pei, professor of public administration at Claremont McKenna College, for Bloomberg.
"Putin and Xi, who have met each other 38 times since 2013, are reportedly close friends. Their phone call was timed to coincide with the Chinese leader's birthday, but it was also arranged to send a message to the West," states the material.
The author writes that once relations between Russia and China resembled a "marriage of convenience", but today Moscow and Beijing see each other as a reliable ally in confronting Washington.
"The ties that unite Russia and China are stronger than during the Cold War, while the forces that can tear them apart are weaker".
According to the professor, the personal close relationship between Putin and Xi Jinping plays a special role. The author believes that they share similar values and a deep antipathy towards the West.
A telephone conversation between Putin and Xi Jinping took place on June 15, the leaders stated that Russian-Chinese relations are at an unprecedented high level and are constantly improving. In addition, Beijing noted that Russia's actions to protect national interests in the face of external challenges to its security are legitimate.