Laura Bicker
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin make it look like they're the best of friends.
Xi took his place at the right-hand side of Putin, the position of a steadfast ally, as their troops marched together on Red Square as part of Moscow's Victory Day parade.
Hours earlier, Xi described the bond between the two countries as "unbreakable" and added that Russia and China should be "friends of steel".
This is Xi's 11th visit to Russia since becoming president in 2013 and the two leaders have met on more than 40 occasions.
Putin has already announced plans to visit China in the autumn and the two leaders have even, in the past, shared a rare public hug.
But there is more to this relationship than meets the eye.
"We see a lot of exchanges between the two men and patriotic displays of togetherness," said Mathieu Boulegue, from the Center for European Policy Analysis.
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