Read previewChina's leader, Xi Jinping, rolled out the red carpet for his "old friend" Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
For his part, Putin lavished praise on China, whose support has been vital during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
But underneath the pageantry and rhetoric, Xi is under mounting pressure over his alliance with Putin — and he has good reason to be wary of their "no limits" partnership.
President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China in Beijing.
"Meeting with Putin now is Xi's way of showing that China will not bend to Western pressure," said Torigian.
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