The meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow brought about several notable agreements, signifying the growing social, political and economic ties between China and Russia. As China’s reliance on Russian energy increases, so do the broader implications this strategic alliance could have on US geopolitics.

Beijing and Moscow are trying their hands at attraction, and failing – miserably, writes Joseph S. Nye.

President Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo, and his participation in the fifth BRICS summit in Durban has sparked speculation over China's diplomatic inclinations among some circles overseas.

Even though the Western media attacks it as a form of Chinese neo-colonialism, the China-Africa relationship has in the past decade moved steadily and rapidly forward despite interferences.

As the large emerging economies met at this year’s BRICS Summit in Durban, South Africa, they focused on proposals for a BRICS development bank and the future of the global economy in an attempt to counter reduced growth prospects.

As US and NATO forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, Washington must carefully examine the strategic power vacuum that will be left in its void. Given China’s increasing influence in Central Asia, US policy makers must be cognizant of its recommendations for managing the region and enlist China’s assistance to implement them.

Commenting on the recent reached China-Russia joint statement, Su Xiaohui says that China and Russia are not allying against the US and China is not seeking Russia’s support in its territorial disputes.

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.