Birthday finest needs hardly ever come freighted with a lot significance. However when it’s Russia’s embattled president, Vladimir V. Putin, flattering his Chinese language counterpart, Xi Jinping, even seemingly small gestures ship a message to the world, not least to their Western rivals.
Mr. Putin despatched Mr. Xi a congratulatory telegram when the Chinese language chief turned 70 on Thursday, wishing his “pricey buddy” good well being, happiness and success, additional cementing the picture of a private bond between the…
