There's obviously a great deal of symbolism to this visit. The banquet, the tea ceremony, the walk in the park - Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are closer than ever, and they want the world to see it. Their message is that it's time for a new global order, that isn't dominated by the West. The Kremlin also wants to tell those watching back home that Russia isn't alone. That it no longer needs Europe.
But for how much longer? There are labour shortages in key sectors, like oil and gas. The losses on the frontline have exacerbated a demographic crisis, and the brain drain that followed the invasion has affected the quality of the workforce. What's more, the war is fast turning into a money pit for Moscow. Defence spending is projected to reach nearly 9% of GDP this year. That explains the recent reshuffle of Putin's top team, in which he replaced his defence minister with an economist.
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