>> reporter: of unified front to show there are strong relations and it's a good healthy relationship between the two autocracies. china is having to walk a very fine line because while they might philosophically agree with russia, with vladimir putin's russia in terms of, you know, the ability to repress its own people, not to have an open society, not to have a real democracy they agree philosophically with that but the problem is they have strong tie, trade ties to the rest of the world which they really cannot endanger without doing significant damage to their own country so they're having to walk a very tight line, a public face that i think probably private face behind the scene. >> a good point. both leaders going into this, went into this meeting both in weak positions, right? i mean nearly a year later putin is still fighting this war in ukraine and suffered many setbacks and ci seeing his pandemic strategy, his zero covid strategy unraveling and cases are booming in china. do you think any of their