On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Sergei Shoigu, the head of the Russian Security Council, met in Beijing, where according to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang warned of the danger of the world lapsing into the “law of the jungle”.

“China and Russia should maintain close communication on major issues concerning bilateral relations, increase mutual support on issues involving each other’s core interests, and protect their respective and shared interests,” Wang said.

While not explicitly mentioning the US, Chinese officials have used similar language to describe Trump’s threats against Greenland and the attack on Venezuela last month.

“The recent changes in [Greenland, Iran and Ukraine] have increased the necessity of this communication and will also become an important part of it,” Cui Hongjian, head of European Union studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said.

Wang told Shoigu that Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to “open up new horizons” this year.