Yea, yea. But that was then and this is now. Xi does not like partnering with anyone. He know that Putin will depend on him the the world that is evolving.

And Trump had a great relationship with Xi, as he did with Kim, and Putin. They know that the US is a mess. Biden surprised them by pulling NATO together so well. They are betting it won't last. The US attention span is already shifting. Probably Tucker Carlson will vist China soon.