Xi Jinping has chosen Moscow as the destination for his first state visit in his new capacity as the Chinese president, a decision that has caught the attention of the international community. Some people see it as a readily understandable decision, while others regard it with unease.

At this month's BRICS summit in Durban, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa will set ambitious goals. But, given the obstacles to cooperation – from mutual distrust to disparate interests – that exist among them, they are more likely to achieve their goals individually.

The fact that Xi Jinping's first foreign visit as China's president will be to Russia is symbolic. Russia is, of course, a neighbor across a 4,355-km-long border. It is also an important source of raw materials and military technology for China.

The atmospherics surrounding Xi Jinping’s coming trip to Russia – his first visit to a foreign country as China’s new president – recall a Soviet slogan from the late 1950’s: “Russia-China, Friendship Forever.” Fortunately for both sides, the slogan appears more valid now than it was then.

China and Russia conducted their first official bilateral naval exercise (variously referred to as “Sea Interaction 2012” or “Maritime Cooperation 2012”) fr

For all the doubts and suspicions raised by some Western powers, Putin smoothly managed a landslide win in his re-election as Russia’s new president to start his third term of presidency. Of the series of articles he had published before the election, the article ‘Russia and the Changing World’ carried in the Moscow News is of special significance.