Putin calls Xi Jinping 'my dear friend.' And Xi calls Putin 'my old friend.' The two leaders speak to each other in exactly this language. They want to show the world that a special relationship has developed between them. So far, they have held more than 40 face-to-face meetings. In the joint statement issued by the leaders of Russia and China, they spoke of strategic cooperation in terms of partnership, mutual respect, friendship and trust between the two countries. At the same time, they criticized the 'irresponsible' nuclear policy of the United States. They also condemned US President Donald Trump's plan related to the 'Golden Dome' missile defense system. Before Putin's visit to China, the Russian state-run newspaper published two large photos on its front page. One shows US President Donald Trump walking alone up the stairs of Air Force One after concluding his visit to China last week; beside it, an old photo was printed showing Putin and Xi Jinping walking together. The message in the photo was clear—Russia and China are moving shoulder to shoulder on the world stage. But global geopolitics does not depend on these messages. In most cases, geopolitical relations are based on self-interest.