China and Russia outlined a vision of international relations anchored in their potential to reinforce each other in disputes with the U.S. and its allies while cooperating on an array of economic and diplomatic fronts. Presidents Xi and Putin issued a joint statement that forecast the “transformation of the global governance architecture and world order.” That transformation would be marked by the progress of concepts and initiatives that Moscow and Beijing conceived separately, often in opposition to the U.S. and its Western allies, and now could develop into an integrated challenge to American power. In the statement, the two sides are redefining the very meaning of democracy to embrace their repressive systems that censor media, prohibit dissent, lock up political opponents, and support like-minded authoritarian systems. U.S. officials cautioned Beijing that conflict in Ukraine would affect China’s international interests, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said following the meeting between Xi and Putin.
