According to the International Herald Leader, Yan Xuetong, Dean of the Institute of Contemporary International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said that, given the current international environment, the best strategy for China and Russia is to form an alliance with each other.

Yan pointed out that President Xi’s visit to Russia is not out of consideration of bilateral relations with the United States, but represents a totally new strategic paradigm shift. Yan further stated that the most important benefit such an alliance with Russia will bring to China is to solidify a favorable security environment for northern and western China so that China can focus on handling the pressure in eastern and southern China. Moreover, it may help re-balance the votes at the U.N. Security Council. Yan advised that China should take a proactive approach to forming an alliance and making proposals to Russia.

Source: International Herald Leader, March 26, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0326/183592.shtml

On March 21, 2013, Cheng Enfu, member of the Presidium of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Academic Division, and director of the Academic Division of Marxist Studies, published an article on Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) proposing five non-military means to deal with Japan on the Diaoyu Islands dispute (called the Senkaku Islands in Japan).

1) Mobilize overseas Chinese around the world to launch Diaoyu Islands Protection campaigns and ask Taiwan authorities to take the major responsibility to protect the Diaoyu Islands. 2) Take advantage of Japan’s eagerness to become the new permanent member of the United Nations and make a political deal with Japan. 3) Reduce the export of rare earths and other strategic resources to Japan and tighten the importation of Japanese goods. 4) If Japan does not back off on the Diaoyu Islands dispute, then support Russia and South Korea’s position on the South Kuril Islands and Dokdo Island. 5) Mobilize friendly Japanese people from all walks of life to boycott and split up Japan’s rightist militant forces.

Source: Huanqiu, March 21, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/opinion_world/2013-03/3753232.html

On March 25, 2013, Wen Wei Po published an article titled “It Is of Great Significance for China and Russia to Strengthen Military Cooperation.” Xi Jinping, Chairman of the PRC and the Central Military Commission, visited the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Russian Armed Forces’ Operational Command Center. Xi Jinping is the first foreign leader ever to be allowed inside the Russian Armed Forces’ Operational Command Center, the "heart" of the Russian military establishment.

“In recent years, the United States has implemented the ‘return to the Asia-Pacific’ strategy and instigated Japan to provoke the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands dispute in Asia. Thus the risk of an accidental Sino-Japanese battle is rising; Japan’s attitude on the South Kuril Islands has turned firm. Therefore, China and Russia need to support each other and maintain the international order in the post-World War II era.”

Source: Wen Wei Po, March 25, 2013
http://paper.wenweipo.com/2013/03/25/WW1303250004.htm