China and Russia defy Western tensions with new trade agreements.

Chinese and Russian leaders have pledged to expand economic cooperation, with bilateral trade expected to reach or exceed $200 billion this year. While China is Russia's largest trading partner, Russia is a small market for China. Trade between the two countries has long been dominated by energy, machinery, electronics, and more recently cars and other transportation equipment. Expanding Russia-China economic ties would represent a shift in a relationship that has chiefly been about political alignment against the West.