[earlybird](/members/38344/earlybird.html) , 2/19/2022 6:22:01 PM Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a defiant joint statement last week. They affirmed their “strong mutual support for the protection of their core interests” and openly opposed the U.S.-led world order and value system. Many international observers saw the statement as a “manifesto” for a new multipolar world order in which Russia and China are united against the United States. (snip)The joint statement claims that the “friendship between [Russia and China] knows no limits.” But the questions remain how strong their alliance really is and how long it will last.