China-Russia Gas Talks to Show How Much Xi Is Embracing Putin
- China imports of Russian energy ballooned throughout 2022
- Russia eager to seal deal on Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline
This article is for subscribers only.
China has billed Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow this week as a “journey of friendship.” Talks on a long-term gas deal may reveal the limits of what he can and will do for Vladimir Putin.
Russia, which was the world’s largest gas exporter until it invaded Ukraine last year and lost access to most of its key markets in Europe, is eager to boost shipments to China. But that requires new pipelines, since much of Moscow’s existing export infrastructure faces West.