To see past the official agenda, you just have to look at the guest list. When the US president visited, he brought tech and finance executives. Putin’s massive delegation, however, includes five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, regional governors, and the head of Russia’s central bank.
For Russia, China has become a critical economic lifeline. With bilateral trade topping 200 billion dollars for three straight years, Moscow is structurally dependent on Beijing for industrial machinery, electronics, and cars.
