Friendship Between Vladimir Putin And Xi Jinping Becomes Strained As Economies Falter

The New York Times

By JANE PERLEZ and NEIL MacFARQUHAR

They have met more than a dozen times and stood shoulder to shoulder during Thursday’s military parade here. But the once-vaunted relationship between the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin, has come under strain as the economies of their countries have faltered.