Russia and China ...

... Not really a love story

Today in the Cosmopolitan Globalist, Vivek Kelkar looks at Putin’s “Dear Friend” Xi and asks who, really, holds the cards in this relationship.

Putin and Xi met virtually last December 15, making a conspicuous display of their bonhomie. “A new model of cooperation has been formed between our countries—one based on foundations like non-interference in domestic affairs and respect for each other’s interests,” Putin told Xi on television. The Russian and Chinese flags were placed carefully in the camera frame; their public display was ornamented with such terms as, “old friend,” “dear friend,” and “esteemed friend.”

But what calculations lie beneath this display, and who has the real power in this “new model of cooperation?” …

Read: Putin’s Hall of Mirrors