China and Russia seek closer bonds - up to a point
Yun Tang says the 'non-aligned' allies have come together to act as counterbalance to US power
Chinese leader Xi Jinping's three-day visit to Russia was his first state visit after assuming the presidency on March 14.
In the Kremlin, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint declaration, vowing to extend economic co-operation and steadfastly buttress each other in regional and global affairs.
The venue as well as the drastically deepened ties between the two former allies, especially their security implications, struck a responsive chord in world media.
Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao also made Moscow his first foreign stop after becoming president in 2003.
In fact, since 2000, the two sides have realised reciprocal state visits every other year.
But a comparison with mutual statements made over the past decade reveals unprecedented wording in the new joint declaration, which attest to the determination of the two countries to forge a much closer relationship.
