When the bear cannot hug the dragon

President Putin appeared to have gotten President Xi in a serious bind when Russia started its military manoeuvres to try to capture Kyiv in February. – AP

THE dragon has long symbolised the grandeur of China, as the bear has embodied Russia’s speed and strength.

By this token, when one speaks of the dragon and the bear, one is referring to the contemporary Sino-Russian relationship. However, what is most significant in this bilateral relationship is that the core interests of the two have appeared to converge only to show signs of diverging too.