From 1969-1991, the Cold War had moved from a Free World/Communist struggle to a three part US/Soviet/Chinese contest. The world's economic superpower vs the strongest military vs the world's population superpower.

Now the balance has shifted. America is the world's strongest military, but that is fading rapidly. Russia was weak for a while, but has purged its dead weight and corruption, and obviously has again relearned to fight a land war very effectively. China has all of the money it will need and is obviously using it for its military.
The biggest change is that China and Russia no longer hate each other - no more Mao cult VS Marxism-Leninism. China surely covets Russia's resources, and if Russia were isolated and weak, China would surely join a coalition against it. That may be the best hope for not fighting both: The UK-Russian contention and the slight chance that NATO powers of Europe would fight Russia.

In reality, though, our leaders have isolated themselves from Russia to no effect. Eastern Europe won't become anything that it wasn't before to us, and we can't get a greater advantage over Russia than what we had in 1990 or any time since. Russia can only get stronger, and China can gain more from working against the rest of us than by trying to take Russia's resources. Russia has enough fuel to supply themselves AND China - plenty of time for China to take the straights of Hormuz by land and perhaps even by sea (remember they are building a huge fleet). If we **** them off any further, it is a good chance that Russia will start rearming and resupplying old allies as well, most signifigantly North Korea. Yes North Korea is full of outdated equipment, but with fuel and air cover (and new stuff they'd surely get), they could be just as dangerous as the Russians themselves on land, negating South Korea's currently overwhelming strength.

So the best and most obvious solution is to halt NATO expansion and stop acting the aggressor. With the new administration, I think it is perfectly feasible but not a sure thing at all.

Russia, China seal trade ties

BEIJING (AFP) – China and Russia on Tuesday cemented their burgeoning trade relationship with billions of dollars in new deals as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

Putin, who arrived late on Monday, was also due to meet President Hu Jintao as the two countries seek closer ties, and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security grouping, during his visit.

It is the Russian leader's first trip to China since he took over as prime minister last year, although he visited four times previously as president.

Wen greeted Putin at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square in a formal welcome ceremony before the closed-doors talks, Chinese state media said.

The leaders will sign several agreements, officials said, including one committing each country to notifying the other of the launch of ballistic missiles from its territory.

The head of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, said a massive gas deal would be signed in the presence of Wen and Putin that would see 70 billion cubic metres of natural gas sent to China annually.

"A framework agreement has been initialled. This document will be signed today," Miller said.

"It will be a long-term contract, about 70 billion cubic metres" of gas annually, he said.

He did not reveal financial details for what he termed the "long-term contract".

About 40 economic deals worth around 3.5 billion dollars were signed early on Tuesday ahead of the Wen-Putin talks, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov told reporters.

Zhukov gave few details but said the deals included financing arrangements between Russian and Chinese banks, adding that more agreements would be sealed between Putin and Wen.

"I think a meeting between the two premiers will be successful. A whole number of very serious intergovernmental agreements will be signed," he said, without offering specifics on those deals.

The Russian government said earlier that other agreements to be struck include a memorandum of understanding on developing high-speed train travel on Russian territory.

Despite a rocky Cold War relationship, Sino-Russian ties have grown markedly since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, with Russian energy and military sales driving the relationship.

Bilateral trade between the giants grew to more than 56 billion dollars in 2008 -- more than 2.5 times the volume of 21 billion dollars in 2004, according to the latest figures from the Chinese commerce ministry.

"Besides deepening the strategic political partnership, Putin's visit will certainly advance bilateral cooperation in energy," Shi Yajun, an expert on Sino-Russian relations at the East China Normal University told AFP.

Russia has been watching China's growing economic and political might with a mixture of awe and unease.

However, in a message on communist China's 60th birthday on October 1, Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hailed Moscow's "strategic partnership" with Beijing, a term usually reserved for its closest allies and friends.

During Putin's visit, the two nations -- both permanent members of the UN Security Council -- are also expected to coordinate international diplomacy, especially how to respond over the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes.

On Wednesday, Putin will attend a heads of government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a group dominated by China and Russia that has been touted as a counterweight to Western-led institutions.


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