India, May 20 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed a major "Multipolar World Declaration", signalling a deeper strategic partnership between China and Russia at a time of rising tensions with the West.

The declaration, signed during Putin's latest visit to China, strongly criticised what both leaders described as Western dominance in global affairs. The two countries accused the United States and its allies of promoting unilateral influence, military blocs, and policies that threaten global stability.

The development comes just days after renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing following US President Donald Trump's recent diplomatic engagements in Asia and growing disputes over trade, ...