Letter from China: Beijing strengthens gas ties with Moscow
China is considering importing more pipeline gas from Siberia, but competition from LNG may cap the scale of these volumes
China’s new contract to buy more Russian gas marks a deepening of the relationship between the two countries at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. But it does not necessarily mean a follow-up to the historic megadeal signed in 2014 is a foregone conclusion. Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom said early this month that it had signed a contract to supply an additional 10bn m³/yr of gas to China’s CNPC. The long-term SPA adds to the 30-year deal signed in 2014 for 38bn m³/yr, deliveries from which began in December 2019 via the Power of Siberia pipeline. The new deal—under negotiation since 2015—is for the supply of gas from Russia’s Far East to
Also in this section
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away






