Two countries have chosen to look back at their respective political and cultural histories in the past decade to find new solutions to the political, social and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

As a result, both China and Russia have progressively reduced their reliance on the western models of governance that have hitherto predominated. They are motivated not simply by nationalist sentiment but rather by a growing disenchantment with the arrogant presumption of western powers that continue to proclaim the superiority of their own systems of governance as models for the world.

However, the progressive fragmentation of the world order created and maintained by the western powers since the industrial revolution and the increasingly dysfunctional politics of the major western powers have given momentum to this revival of interest in traditional cultural norms in both countries.