Why does this matter? China gets more than 50% discount on LNG imports from Russia is a massive sign of Russian desperation and China putting the screws to them.
Russia isn’t doing this because they really like China. This shows they have no leverage or options at this point. The big picture of money coming in for Russia greatly affects their warfighting capability. This type of agreement is worth paying attention to.
One problem: who manufactures most of the spare parts for drones? China loves those gas prices, so they might dislike those who break pipes.
it’s not a great mystery whose side China is on in this conflict.
China doesn’t really pick sides. They pick what is good for China.
I get your point, but I have a nitpick. This is not about China or Russia but rather about Xi and Putin. It’s about their personal power and enrichment, what’s best for their countries or the people don’t matter to them.
This comes up often - these are not rational nation states with collective incentives, strong institutions and a predictable set of rules. These are cruel gangster kings consumed by older notions, like legacy and glory for The Leader. Russia and China are not like other nation states that play by predictable rules and will restrain themselves for diplomatic reasons. They do what they can get away with, because that is the nature of power and pain. Those are what matters in their world - diplomacy is a trick of the weak to keep down the strong.
Xi and Putin are two of the wealthiest people on the planet. Why? Because that’s the point of power in their realms. And they had to lie, backstab, kill and steal to get there. They’re very good at it.
and owning siberia is good economically for them.
More than “good”…its strategically vital. The main risk for the entire northern chinese plain including the region around Beijing is a shortage of fresh water. Letting the morons in Russia destroy themselves with a failing war of Cold War revenge wil give China effective control of every resource they need for the next century. At rates that Russia will be unable to refuse because of their idiotic war making them beholden to China for economic survival.
russia is a vassal state to china. i dont know about indias partnership with russia, they seems to be a in cahoots with each other. pakistan hates india, so does china, so they are totally friends, especially china gave pakistan nukes in the cold war. russia influence is probably jeoparadized in the region.
Indeed, and Russia knows this. But hubris takes up a bigger part of their brutalist psyche than their fear of china at the moment
China sells spare parts to Ukraine. And we don’t want to change that.
I don’t think Ukraine is incentivized to run dangerous missions in Siberia to stop Russia from selling natural gas at a massive loss.
I’m not suggesting they should. I’m saying the fact Russia HAS to do this to get any income and kiss China’s ass screams of their massive weakness.
They just follow the money. What’s interesting is during that VJ day parade, all the media showed Xi meeting Putin. Little of it showed Xi meeting with the Serbian (EU) President who was also there, or the Slovakian (EU and NATO) Prime Minister who was there as well. Representatives from the UK and USA were also there.