Described as a "brotherly friendship," Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin's partnership promises a "no limits" global confrontation against Western hegemony, but is it really that strong? As Xi's state visit unveils this Monday, some of their pledges for mutual prosperity are coming into question.

The promised mutual prosperity appears to be undermined by the harsh reality of their economic ties. The China-Russia border is littered with potholed streets, stray dogs and shops in Heihe, a city once bustling with Russian shoppers, now now barely open amid a broken trade center. Investment promised by both sides has yet to come to fruition, and instead, the two countries seem to be struggling to bring their bonds to fruition while entering a Cold War 2.0.

While President Putin praised the US-counteraction in his piece published in People's Daily, the Xi-Putin relationship may ultimately be tested by the