2011-10-12 Source: Chinadaily
Premier
Wen Jiabao greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a welcoming
ceremony in Beijing on Oct 11, 2011. Flanking the two leaders are Vice-Premier
Wang Qishan and his Russian counterpart Alexander Zhukov. [Wu Zhiyi / China
Daily]
BEIJING
- China and Russia made giant strides in energy cooperation on Tuesday by first
agreeing a price for Russian oil exported through a cross-border pipeline and
then announcing the approaching "final stage" of work on Russian gas exports to
China.
Premier
Wen Jiabao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced the
breakthroughs after co-chairing discussions at the Great Hall of the
People.
"The
two countries agreed on crude oil prices and decided to actively push forward
cooperation on oil and gas," Wen said at a news conference after the talks which
lasted for nearly three hours.
On
Jan 1 Russia started to supply China with 300,000 barrels of oil daily via the
first stage of the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline. But Russia said China
had underpaid it tens of million of dollars due to a tariff
dispute.
The
agreement on oil prices was matched by progress on gas.
"As
for gas supplies, we are nearing the final stage of work," Putin told
reporters.
A
deal to supply the world's second-biggest economy with up to 68 billion cubic
meters of Russian gas annually over 30 years has been subject to delay due to
pricing disagreements.
Russian
gas giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation signed a framework
agreement in 2009. However, Russia seeks around $300 per cubic meter, similar to
what European customers pay.
But
China wants a price under $200 per cubic meter, similar to what it pays for
supplies from Central Asia.
Vice-Premier
Wang Qishan and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin discussed energy
issues in detail earlier on Tuesday as they co-chaired energy
talks.
Yu
Sui, a professor of Russian studies with the Beijing-based China Center for
Contemporary World Studies, said that before China and Russia strike a balance
they should refer to the international price, which has been falling
recently.
The
gap has been narrowed to $50 per cubic meter, as China raised its bid to
$250.
Putin,
on his first trip abroad since he announced his plan to run for the presidency,
called for compromise.
"Those
who sell always want to sell at a higher price, while those who buy, want to buy
at a lower price. We need to reach a compromise which will satisfy both
sides."
Wen
said that the Chinese government is willing to strive, together with the
Russians, to build a strategic partnership between the two
countries.
Wen
and Putin on Tuesday also witnessed the signing of nine documents, including a
deal between Russian state bank VEB and the China Development Bank for the
Chinese bank to invest $1.5 billion in building the first stage of a 750,000-ton
aluminum smelter in Taishet in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast region. The China
Investment Corp also agreed to invest $1 billion in a joint Russia-China
investment fund set up in partnership with a Russian state-backed vehicle to
promote direct investment.
China
is now Russia's top trading partner, with trade volume this year expected to
exceed $80 billion, according to Putin.
Aside
from the huge economic interests, many commentators and observers also see the
visit by Putin, accompanied by a 160-member delegation, as politically
significant.
Bloomberg
said that the trip indicates Putin is likely to lean more on Asia in his foreign
policy and develop stronger ties with China if he returns to the presidency in
2012.
Indian
newspaper The Hindu said on Tuesday that "Russia's new emphasis on technological
cooperation with China creates both a challenge and opportunity for
India.
"The
modernization pact Putin is to sign in Beijing should give India a cue to follow
in its relations with Russia," it said.
But
Yu, from the research center, noted that other nations do not need to worry
about closer cooperation between Beijing and Moscow as relations "benefit
regional and world peace".
Guan
Guihai, associate dean of the School of International Studies at Peking
University, said Putin's visit "should be treated as nothing unusual under the
mechanism of regular premier meetings".
Putin
arrived in Beijing a day after Russia and China signed 16 economic and trade
deals worth $7.1 billion, mainly in the new energy and mining
sectors.
- CBCSD and Members Participated and Suggested on the Project for Technical Regulation on Low-carbon Pilot Community
- CBCSD and Members Participated in the APEC Cooperation Network Construction Forum of Green Supply Chain
- Calculation Method of CO2 Emissions in Petroleum and Natural Gas Exploitation Enterprises & Calculation Method of CO2 Emissions in Water Network of Chemical Enterprises
- CBCSD Attended the Workshop for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development and Delivered Introductions
- WBCSD: Tackling the Challenge, How to Make Informed Choices on Forest Product?
- The National New-Type Urbanization Plan Released, Board Members of CBCSD Help the Sustainable Development of Cities
- Board members of CBCSD Actively Participated in the Carbon Trading and International Climate Change Process
- Two industrial Standards Compiled by CBCSD Passed Examination
- Widespread Use of the Achievements Businesses Energy Saving and Greenhouse Gas Management
- CBCSD held Chemical industry enterprise value chain (range 3) greenhouse gas emissions, accounting and reporting guidelines