Good to see the cultural dimension, the European card is well overplayed, the eastern card has far more value in the long run. We need build stronger and stronger ties with China across the board. Culture is a great way for our peoples to build a long term solid relationship.

I am really impressed by the right tone and emphasis in the relationship between the two large, and economically so complimentary countries. Cultural ties will expland over time. The major difficulty for Russia is the lack of strong population centers in Asia, to build stronger Eurasian cross-cultural identity. That will have to change for the sake of the development, and there is no way around it. Even successfull immigration policy requires that the immigrants are attracted to the less populated areas, with a greater promise for future. As of now, the strategic thinking does not seem to understand the need for integrating technology, transportation, energy, education, health care and even defense --- into a unified, purposefull population/labor force growth plan.

@ Bianca, I think the problems with the weak infrastructure in the Far East (and everywhere else) date back to the Soviet era. There was a mountain of deferred maintenance waiting for the new Federation in 1991 and not all of it got high up on the list of projects during the 1990s, as sadly demonstrated by the explosion at the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam. Putin really pushed for infrastructure modernization when he was president, but the emphasis has only been in the past decade or less. One good thing for Vladivostok will be the ASEC summit in 2012. The city is getting new water treatment plants, a big bridge, a new university, and an expanded airport out of the deal. As for roads, good luck with that. Russia is so big it needs millions of miles of roads, and winter heaves them up and cracks them every year. There is just so much to do, and only twelve months in a year. I wish the government luck and success in modernizing the infrastructure. It is a huge and never-ending job. Added to the infrastructure projects is that new pipeline to China. Maybe it will bring Russia enough income to pay for some of the other projects.

The Chinese economic bubble will pop soon. It will be impossible to continue to brainwash the American consumers into buying Chinese products when it is in direct conflict with American national security. Incompetent American treasonous leaders happily sent American factories and America's industrial capacity to China. These acts of treason paid handsomely to the billionaire enabler traitors. Americans are starting to wake up and these criminals could wind up in prison, vice the rich life they currently enjoy. America is no longer for sale. China will soon find this out, much to their dismay.

To Mr bubble,

Actually,this will boost Russia's economy greatly and spur other jobs in former USSR countrys and Europe,and China being 2nd largest economy on earth will grow further,so there won't be as much need for USA or Europe to outsource to China or people to migrate to USA for work,so everyone will win here.