Xi Jinping flaunted closer ties with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un during a military parade in Beijing, signaling defiance of the U.S.-led order. Despite the optics, China remains cautious: no formal alliance, no direct arms supplies to Russia, and unease over North Korea’s unpredictability. Beijing faces trade-offs—Russia provides raw materials and strategic leverage, but … Continue reading Xi’s Pageantry and the Perils of a New Axis