New Russia-China Split

One way of conveying that things aren't quite all right in China-Russia relations would be to say that this isn't as warm a relationship as it once was. Another would be to quote Ariel's song about Ferdinand's "drown'd father" in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest , "Those are pearls that were his eyes … ."

China seems to prefer the first option for the present, while drawing attention to the emerging truth regarding its "comprehensive strategic cooperation and partnership" with Russia. "Once warm Sino-Soviet relationship can be revived" - this was the intriguing title of an article featured in the leading Chinese dailies on August 22.