Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met in Beijing for their second summit of the year, showcasing their lockstep unity as a faction opposed to the U.S.
Their meeting comes as the situation in the Middle East, on top of that in Ukraine, is growing increasingly tense. Democracies cannot turn a blind eye to the possibility that stronger ties between Beijing and Moscow will deepen global divisions and further undermine the international order based on freedom and the rule of law.
