On Tiananmen Square this morning, with an official 21-gun salute, China received Russian President Vladimir Putin for a two-day visit to Beijing. Xi Jinping described the talks as "thorough, friendly and fruitful". The two leaders signed about 40 bilateral documents, including a "Declaration on the establishment of a multipolar world".

The declaration itself is a diplomatic message. "Multipolar world" in the Chinese-Russian vocabulary means a world where America no longer dictates the rules. At the same time, a joint statement was signed on consolidating the "comprehensive strategic partnership", and the Treaty on Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation - originally signed in 2001 - was extended.

Putin underlined that relations between the two countries "are not based only on current interests, but on long-term connection". Xi added that "the paradigm of building a new type of inter-state relations grounded in mutual respect steadily injects precious stability into a chaotic world". That's the diplomatic phrase for "we are partners against America - permanently".

Cooperation is expanding in several concrete areas: energy (the new "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline), technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture. Those last three are the key - they are sectors where China and Russia are jointly trying to build an alternative to the Western market. How well that has worked so far - different analyses give different answers. The conclusion for now is that Russia is becoming ever more financially dependent on China, and China is getting cheap raw materials without political headache.

Shortly before this visit, China had to publicly deny an FT story that Xi privately told Trump that Putin "may regret" the war. Today's meeting in Beijing also serves to repair that diplomatic mini-incident - Xi clearly wants to show that the partnership with Russia is not in question. The Balkan diaspora that has links to both Moscow and Beijing watches the stage with interest: the two superpowers in the east enter a closer marriage, and we - as usual - watch from the sidelines.