During the high -level talks in Moscow on the occasion of Xi Jinping's visit and attending the 80th anniversary of the Nazi Victory Day 9.5, the President of Russia and the Chinese President agreed to accelerate the construction of the Siberian power pipeline project Siberia 2 - a new symbol for the strategic energy relationship between the two Asian and European powers.
RT said that the above information was announced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak.
The Siberia 2 flow is expected to transport up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia's northern Siberia to China, through Mongolia.
The project is assessed to be on par with major gas pipelines that have supplied to Europe such as Nord Stream and will play a key role in shaping the energy order of Asia - Europe in the next decade.
Although there have been feasibility reports and the project has encountered problems due to problems with prices and roadmaps, it has now received instructions from the leaders of the two countries to "comprehensively accelerate".
"The two sides discussed seriously, the project is very important. Senior leaders have issued directives to accelerate the implementation process, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Novak said.
The new pipeline is part of Moscow's efforts to diversify the Russian gas export market, in the context of Europe's sharp decline in imports after imposing unprecedented sanctions.
Meanwhile, for China - Asia's largest energy consuming economy - this gas pipeline will ensure stable and long-term supply for increasing domestic demand.
Russia has previously successfully operated the Power of Siberia 1 pipeline, a $400 billion, 30-year deal signed in 2014 between Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom and the National Oil and Gas Group of China (CNPC).
The Power of Siberia 1 officially came into operation in 2019 and will reach full capacity by the end of 2024, making Russia the largest gas supplier to China.
According to Mr. Novak, Russia is also developing a new pipeline through Kazakhstan. If all projects are completed and fully operational, the total Russian gas supply to China could reach nearly 100 billion cubic meters per year - a figure of strategic significance not only in economics but also in geopolitics.
Russia-China bilateral trade in 2024 set a new record of 245 billion USD, despite pressure from Western embargoes. Observers say that energy is becoming a strategic bloodline connecting the two world powers in an increasingly Polar world.
