Dynamism hallmark of China-Russia ties

Both China and Russia have re-elected their presidents, and the two countries, China led by President Xi Jinping and Russia by President Vladimir Putin, seem to be on track to reinforce their bilateral ties.

Global major power relations took a new turn at the end of 2017, especially after the United States officially designated Russia and China as strategic rivals. This, of course, was anything but a declaration of a new "Cold War", it certainly exhibited a palpable change in attitude. The earlier careful balance between engagement and hedging in the US' China policy has been disrupted. Tensions, which have always been there, are becoming more pronounced.

This pales in comparison with the sharp tailspin in US-Russia relations since 2014. Perhaps it is safe to say Washington-Moscow might get worse. With several rounds of sanctions, accusations of election meddling, and rising military tensions, not least in Syria, the US-Russian agenda has de facto shrunk to just one item: war avoidance. This state of affairs is likely to persist for years - if we are lucky, of course.