President Xi Jinping talked with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Wednesday.

Putin has attended all of the Belt and Road forums, demonstrating Russia's unswerving support for the China-proposed initiative. To date, the two heads of state have met 42 times over the past decade, consolidating the strong working relationship and deep personal friendship between the two leaders.

The exchanges between the two heads of state have been both the anchor and the compass for China-Russia relations. They have ensured the sustained and steady development of bilateral ties by providing a top-level design and strategic guidance. This has been especially important, given the rapidly changing international landscape, and the need for the two sides to enhance their coordination on bilateral and international issues.

Following the blueprint drawn by the two leaders, China-Russia cooperation has flourished in recent years. It encompasses a wide range of fields, such as the economy, trade, investment, energy, science and technology, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Bilateral trade, which hit a historical record in 2022, is expected to set a new record this year, reaching $200 billion.

The strong China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has also established itself as an important diplomatic and strategic asset shared by both sides as the two countries provide valuable strategic support to each other on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and the BRICS mechanism.

With the United States-led West adhering to a zero-sum mentality and stoking bloc competition and confrontation to contain China and Russia, it is only natural that the two countries should opt to strengthen their mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests. Not to mention that the two countries share the same or similar views on hot-button regional and international issues as well as global governance. As Xi said, it is not an expediency, but a long-term policy to develop China-Russia relations featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Although the West tries to portray otherwise, both countries have repeatedly stressed their relations do not target any third party. In an increasingly turbulent world, the steady and reciprocal China-Russia ties have set a good example for relations between countries. In contrast, the cobwebbed Cold War shenanigans of the US and its allies are stoking geopolitical tensions and creating ever greater global uncertainty.

Just because the US chooses to remain stuck in the past, and insists on playing its zero-sum games targeting the two countries does not mean the rest of the international community should tag along with Washington. The determination of Beijing and Moscow to maintain close and cordial ties should be viewed as a welcome stabilizer amid Washington's ruinous attempts to maintain the US' hegemony in the face of a tide of change sweeping the world.