Russia does not want to go to war with the United States in the South China Sea. China does not want to go to war with NATO in the Baltic States.

These truths bear note in light of Beijing and Moscow’s latest effort to present their relationship as an evolving alliance. Holding a virtual meeting on Monday, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin spoke of forging closer cooperation in international affairs. Xi described a commitment to “building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.”