Just a couple of years ago, western “experts” claimed that China and Russia were secret enemies. Today, China and Russia openly say they enjoy a “relation without limits”. Li Shangfu was promoted to minister while under US sanctions, which itself is a statement that China no longer cares what US and the collective west think.

When western economies crashed in 2008, China around over half of the bonds US issued to stabilize the global economy. No such rescue will happen this time around.