Two answers to this, which I think will help us understand this question. 1) Unlike in the 1950s (when China was the junior partner), today's relationship between China and Russia is not an alliance, and neither side is keen on making it such.
https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1401460804596092933
This allows both sides significant flexibility and scope for policy divergence, which was not there in the 1950s, when there was a (misplaced) expectation in Moscow that Beijing would align its policy to whatever it was that the Kremlin preferred.
2) China has not so far sought to exploit its advantage as the more powerful partner to bring Russia to heel, and has instead tried to address Russia's concerns (e.g. in Central Asia). It certainly has not forced Russia to pick sides whenever it quarrels with India, for instance.
That's because although Russia is a "junior" partner, it is also seen a very valuable partner - perhaps the best that China has. For this reason, there is even a degree of deference to Russia (on some issues) on Beijing's part.
So, I would argue that being the junior partner in this relationship is perhaps not as bad as one might think at first.
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