Many analysts believe pledges to triple trade between the two countries are mere wishful thinking.
However, Russian and Chinese leaders want to push economic ties beyond the level of the shuttle trade. Trade turnover between the two countries peaked in 1993, due to the bustling sales of cheap Chinese goods in Russia. Since then, demand for Chinese goods has dropped off as Russian consumers voiced complaints that traders were dumping low-quality products on to the market. Recently, Russian exports have driven trade between the two countries, led by the sale of advanced military technology to China. Western bans on arms sales to China following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre have opened up opportunities for Russia's ailing defense industry.