Free Republic

China's top diplomat told one of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies on Tuesday (Feb 21) that Beijing's relationship with Moscow was "rock solid" and would withstand any test in a changing international situation. China's "no limits" partnership with Russia has come under scrutiny in the West after the United States said it was concerned that Beijing might be considering supplying weapons to Russia a year since the invasion of Ukraine. At a meeting in Moscow, Wang Yi told Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's powerful Security Council, that he looked forward to discussions about security.

Barack Obama may still be proposing policies that strike conservatives as weak and foolish. But after his aggressive response to President Bush's apparent criticisms of his foreign policies last week, it's clear that he's doing so in a forceful and politically savvy way. Obama's approach to foreign policy - which emphasizes negotiations more than threats of military action - first emerged as a campaign issue last summer, when Hillary Clinton was looking to show off her expertise and make Obama look like a neophyte. She tore into him for appearing to rule out a nuclear response against Pakistan, should it...