The "BRIC" Theory gets a bit stronger

BRIC, of course, is Brazil, Russia, India and China- the four heirs apparent to the American hegemony.

Two of them, Russia and China, have just inked a deal to run pipelines from Russia's oil and gas fields to China. Although this does not include Siberian oil, it is still a big success for both China and Russia- China gets badly needed energy, and Russia gets badly-needed currency. More importantly, though, it signifies that they are now relatively friendly, opening the door to further Chinese weapon imports from Russia, and further coordination in global affairs.

This matters: not only do these countries control a huge swath of Eurasia between them, but its Northeastern coast. It creates the possibility that the United States and Japan will become even further strategically isolated in Asia, especially considering the lingering issues over the Kuriel Islands and the troubled Sino-Japanese relationship.

Plus, it means that Vladimir Putin has one more ally that really won't give him grief over anti-democratic practices.

Edit: That said, see this piece for info on the lingering tensions over China's disinterest in importing manufactured goods.