Amid New Sino-Russian Ties, History Is Twisted to Serve the Present

From forging a comprehensive strategic partnership to signing trade deals worth billions of dollars, the warming relations between China and Russia oblige both sides to drop age-old grievances to focus on friendly times in the past that can be called upon to serve the present.

The two governments are calling 2016 the China-Russia Media Exchange Year, and a new narrative is taking shape to highlight equality and mutually beneficial exchanges in their early encounters. Many Chinese nod knowingly that this is another campaign mockingly called, "History builds the stage for the economy to run the show."