The negotiations dragged in length since 2004

It is a paradox; Russia, world's leading exporter of energy, sells gas to China, became six years ago the second world importer of hydrocarbons due to its stunning economic growth. Moscow exports, while oil, but not gas without transport infrastructure. This should change, following the visit of three days of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in Beijing, which began yesterday. An agreement must also be signed today for the supply of gas by Gazprom, Russia's semi-public monopoly of the sector, the national oil company of China, NCPC. For Gazprom, of which 60 of sales are destined for the European Union, it is logical to diversify its markets, especially the Japan, the Korea of the South (as natural gas compressed or liquefied from a terminal recently opened in Vladivostok) and now China. In passing, geostrategically, Moscow insists his usual message to Europeans: "Be gentle with me if I turn to Beijing."The negotiations dragged in length since 2004. It is true that until recently Beijing featured not large needs for gas imports, the bulk of its energy from coal. The gas that it consumed, usually from its own deposits, represents only 2 of the energy consumption of the country, but should weigh 5 in a few years, Beijing seeking to reduce its reliance on coal. Gazprom displays will sell up to 80 billion cubic metres of gas annually to China, half of its exports to the Union, which is not without a few questions. the Russian company is currently able to balance gas footprint only at the cost of supplies in Turkmenistan. In addition, one wonders what "pipes" will be Russian gas. Beijing and Moscow had announced in band in 2006 the launch of the construction of two gas pipelines with a capacity of transit of 30-40 billion cubic metres per year each, but one which was to transport the gas from the plateau of Altai in Western Siberia is at a standstill, learned on end of August, Gazprom finding too expensive.

Commercial exchanges

Beijing and Moscow are also considering participation Russian construction of additional reactors in Tianwan nuclear power, the largest in China, and a joint venture in production in Russia of diesel fuel from coal liquefaction. In total, Vladimir Poutine sign contracts with a value of 5.5 billion, according to Alexander Zhukov, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, cited by Reuters. Trade between the Russia and China have multiplied by six in six years to reach $ 56 billion last year.

Vladimir Poutine, which must meet with the President, Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao will also participate in Beijing at the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security organization which brings together China, the Russia, the Kazakhstan, the Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It will probably be the Iranian nuclear dossier in which Beijing and Moscow issue seem to share a certain "identity of view", that is a huge reluctance to establish effective sanctions against this country provides China with oil and that is probably the only true ally of the Russia in the Middle East.