President Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Russia has some experts suggesting he might be trying to do a “reverse Nixon” and isolate Beijing by courting Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine

Beijing said Tuesday its defence spending was "entirely necessary" after Russian President Vladimir Putin backed a suggestion that the US, Russia and China all half their defence budgets.