FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin look toward each other as they shake hands prior to their talks in Beijing, China, Thursday, May 16, 2024. China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power between the three authoritarian states. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)