Xi, Putin Deepen Ties in Beijing With Apparent Gas Breakthrough
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China, in this photo supplied by Russian state media on Sept. 1.
Photographer: Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Getty Images
President Vladimir Putin appears to have secured a diplomatic win he has sought for years, with a massive pipeline deal that would tie Russia and China together for decades and could redefine the global gas trade.
The head of Russia’s Gazprom PJSC, speaking to Russian media in Beijing, said the gas giant has signed a legally binding agreement to build the long-anticipated Power of Siberia 2 pipeline to China via Mongolia. While Beijing has yet to confirm the details, securing any advance in the project is a diplomatic coup for Putin as Moscow grapples with the impact of Western sanctions.