Abstract
China and Russia are forced to reach an understanding in the face of a hostile West that refuses to recognize their respective weight in international institutions and denies them equal treatment. Both maintain that the world has entered a transitional phase with declining US hegemony, and for different reasons—historical and due to the idiosyncrasies of their leaders—they are willing to join forces to accelerate this decline and implement a new international order they envision as more just, inclusive, and sustainable. Both countries are convinced that, faced with current instability, they must remain united and draw the Global South to their interests. However, Russia's growing dependence on China reveals the flaws in this tactical alliance and does little to foster the boundless trust and friendship that both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin proclaim.
