[snake_plissken]

Haven't finished reading this but I do wonder about the (still fairly common?) belief that Russia and China very much distrust and despise each other. They're much different than they were in the middle half of the 20th century when their animosity towards each other was based on who they though should be the vanguard of the communist-socialist Leninists-Marxist world revolution.

And if people still believe in this split, incorrectly, will that cause people to incorrectly analyze the situation? As a general principle Russia and China are each untrustworthy of other countries so perhaps they're playing the "keep your friends close but your enemies closer" card. And it's at this point I start to feel that my analysis is too circular, and that China will continue to assist Russia only so long as it suits them (the self interest argument that someone else posted about).

[swatcoder]

In the medium term, the named states all see benefit in moving the world back towards a multi-polar environment with regional spheres of influence and richer individual sovereignty. That's the common cause that sees them coordinate, cooperate, and simply borrow from the windows of opportunity that each opens.

Further out, many can of course anticipate conflict with their neighbors and peers, but those challenges arrive in their own day, in their own way, and only after American influence gets pushed out from their purported domains.