Loyalty in your job and everywhere is much the same - it's about who pays and who doesn't and hierachy (not always skill related)...
Money buys new deals and suddenly people or enemies are respected...
"The Chinese authorities have been seeking permission from Moscow for the passage of ships on the river for years, but met resistance. Now that China has become Russia's "largest trading partner", and the Kremlin's dependence on oil supplies to China and technology purchases has become critical, the issue has been moved forward.!
Above paragraph from: https://qoto.org/@TheOldGuy/112651813073242237