The Importance of the Personal Relationship Between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin

I think Xi Jinping is a very eager person to have Russia as a strategic partner. Putin has been playing hard to get and very loyal, putting wants to play balance diplomacy in Asia. He knows that if he gets too close and exclusive with Xi Jinping it will definitely alienate some of the traditional friends like Vietnam and India. And also, Russia would like to have some kind of a better relationship with Japan, despite its consistent missteps.