Bloomberg: Russia's Role as a Key Supplier to China Is Growing
Today's visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to China provides Moscow with an opportunity to strengthen energy ties with Beijing.
The Bloomberg news agency writes about this, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The war in Iran provides Russia with an opportunity to deepen energy ties with China... Russia hopes that the turmoil in energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East will make China more flexible in contract negotiations on gas prices for the planned Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project," the agency writes.
It is noted that Chinese officials have expressed interest in accelerating negotiations, although there has been no significant progress so far.
"The Middle East conflict is strengthening Russian-Chinese relations, enhancing Russia's role as a key supplier of raw materials to China. Putin's upcoming visit is expected to reflect this new geopolitical reality, linked to China's increased interest in Russian logistics and energy cooperation," comments Vasily Kashin, a China expert at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.
According to a source close to Gazprom, the Russian side offered "a very competitive price for gas for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which is planned to run from Siberia to China via Mongolia."
Former diplomat and director of the Institute of International Relations at Renmin University of China Wang Yiwei emphasizes:
"The war in Iran demonstrates that the security of traditional routes and strategically important hubs can no longer be taken for granted. This is forcing China to develop alternative routes and more proactively mitigate risks."
Bloomberg notes that this is the second time this year that Xi Jinping has held diplomatic meetings back-to-back with both Trump and Putin. In early February, he spoke separately with the US president and Putin, within hours of each other, during phone conversations.
"China's interest in Russia is based on strategic advantage, as Moscow offers energy security, access to critical resources, and access to the Arctic," admits Vita Spivak, a consultant at the British geostrategic consulting firm Gatehouse.
Bloomberg: Russia's Role as a Key Supplier to China Is Growing