Russia and China's common past in World War II forms a common outlook for the future as both countries face pressure from the West, including economic sanctions and territorial issues.
Today, Russia faces international pressure over its reunification with Crimea while China is likewise pressured over its sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea and Diao Yu (Senkaku) Islands. China and Russia also united economically over development in Russia's Far East, even as the two countries' dollar-denominated trade went down as a result of falling resources prices and currency devaluations.
"This reality is very different from many former Allies nations, where the memories of WWII are still important, but don't play that foundational role," Alexander Gabuev of the Moscow Carnegie Center wrote in China's Global Times.
The two countries are also being pressured by a US-led bloc because of economic sanctions. In the case of China, the country is facing the prospect of sanctions because of US allegations that Chinese companies have been engaging in cyber theft.
