While prices of gold don’t necessarily affect silver prices or vice versa, history has demonstrated that when gold rises or falls, silver usually follows suit.

This time around, silver has failed to match the gains that gold posted in recent months, spawning a widespread believe that silver is poised for a bull run. Such factors as a decline in supply and a weakening U.S. dollar have buttressed that bullish belief. And so has the fact that China’s government is strongly encouraging that country’s residents to buy the white metal.

With Beijing’s plan to inject $587 billion (4 trillion yuan) into China’s economy, and a growing desire to diversify away from the U.S. dollar as its key reserve currency, the Asian giant could increase its reliance on such precious metals as gold and silver – especially if global inflation takes hold.

China’s central bank “could use gold, silver or even a basket of

Rising gold and silver prices push our silver picks Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. (NYSE:CDE), Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW), Hecla Mining Co. (NYSE:HL) well into the black.

Gold’s been going up, knocking at the $1,000-an-ounce gate. Why exactly I can’t tell you… its principal bullish factor, inflation, being vortually non-existent in today’s deflationary market.

That leaves the fear of reckless U.S. Congress wrecking the dollar with huge new debt loads… and of an Administration that seems dead-set on crippling U.S. economic competitiveness for decades to come.

Valid fears, indeed, fueled by every redistributionist soundbyte slopping out of Washington.

Silver, too, has been gaining steadily. Our Hot Stock Confidential silver mining play Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. (NYSE: CDE) is up 23%, Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW) is up 18%, and — after a horrendous 40%-drop ofer our May recommendation — Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) has clawed back to a gain over 2%.

(HSC Members who used