[Correspondent Diary] Putin's Dazzling 'Threatening Techniques'

D?j? vu of Sino-Russian Gas Supply Deal... Sino-Russian Leaders Meet Amidst Geopolitical Instability
Joint Sino-Russian Statement Warns the US, NATO, Ukraine, and Japan

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] On the 4th, President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing, China, and held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. After the summit, the two countries issued a joint statement opposing unilateralism by the United States and other Western powers (International Relations between China and Russia and New Era Global Sustainable Development). Additionally, Russia signed a long-term natural gas supply contract with China for 10 billion cubic meters annually.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The state-run Global Times cited an announcement from Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom, stating that China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will import 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. It also reported that CNPC signed a contract to import 100 million tons of crude oil over 10 years from Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft. After the summit, both China and Russia signed a total of 15 documents, three of which were energy-related agreements.

The China-Russia agreements seem familiar. President Putin, who has been in long-term power in Russia, visited China in March 2006 and held a summit with then-President Hu Jintao. At that time, Putin announced plans to supply natural gas to China through two pipelines. Back then, Russia and Ukraine were on the brink of conflict over transit fees for Russian natural gas. The supply of Chinese natural gas was almost a nightmare for Europe, which depends on Russian natural gas.

In 2009, while serving as Prime Minister, Putin again visited China and agreed to cooperate in the energy sector, including natural gas, signing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth a total of 5.5 billion dollars. In 2014, the two countries signed a contract (worth 400 million dollars) to supply 38 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to China for 30 years. Including the contract signed on the 4th, the total volume of Russian natural gas sold to China reaches 48 billion cubic meters annually.

From Europe's perspective, which depends on Russian natural gas, this is as frightening as Russia's military power. Germany, which relies on Russian natural gas for 55% of its demand, responded immediately. On the 5th (local time), Robert Habeck, Germany's Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, said, "We must prepare for next winter" and "We need to create alternative import routes to diversify supply lines."

Photo by Global Times capture

Russia's expanded natural gas supply contract with China can only be interpreted as a warning to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is also a card that could shake Ukraine's entire national economy by reducing the volume of natural gas supplied through Ukraine. Depending on the situation, Russia might even stop gas supplies to Ukraine. Putin's purpose in visiting China this time is purely to threaten the United States, Europe, and Ukraine.

Here, China's role is as Russia's financial lifeline. It compensates for Russia's economic losses caused by the weaponization of energy. From China's standpoint, Russia's weaponization of energy resources is literally a "win-win" situation. China, which needs to reduce coal consumption to achieve carbon neutrality, can secure natural gas stably.

Lu Weicheng, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said after the summit regarding bilateral energy cooperation, "China will reach its carbon peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060," adding, "The express train of China-Russia relations will continue to run without stopping."

The core of the China-Russia joint statement is, again, the US-China conflict. The joint statement contains most of what China desires. It includes dissatisfaction and warnings against US pressure tactics toward China, such as interference in internal affairs (Xinjiang Uyghur and Hong Kong issues), Taiwan separatism (independence), expansion of US-led alliances like AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States security alliance), and the expansion of Indo-Pacific forces.

Japan was also mentioned in the joint statement, specifically regarding the issue of Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge into the ocean. China and Russia expressed their displeasure with Japan, which has been antagonistic while aligning with the US, through the joint statement. China and Russia have long-standing territorial disputes with Japan over the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu Dao in Chinese) and the Kuril Islands (called Chishima in Japanese).

From the perspective of the Western liberal democratic camp, including the United States, China and Russia are truly antagonistic. The fact that China and Russia, united by anti-Americanism, have clearly set their sights signals that international affairs will become even more complex and chaotic in the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.