China demands that natural gas be purchased at Russian domestic prices, Russian netizens are upset: "We have become a 'Uganda with nuclear weapons'?"
The China-Russia "Power of Siberia 2" natural gas pipeline has just signed a memorandum, and there is chaos in Russia. The reason is that during the negotiations, China proposed that the price of imported natural gas should be close to the low price enjoyed by Russians with subsidies, and it only temporarily promised to use half of the pipeline capacity: an average of about 25 billion cubic meters per year, rather than the original plan of 80%.
Many Russian netizens directly lost their temper, complaining that China was too harsh. Some said directly, "China does not need a strong Russia, they just need a Uganda with nuclear weapons." Others questioned the Kremlin for "selling national resources for money."
In fact, China's strength comes from the changed energy landscape. The share of wind and solar power generation in China has increased significantly, and the peak of fossil fuel demand is about to come, and the import channels are also diversified, with Qatar and Australia being major suppliers. Russian natural gas has become a "backup" for China, no longer a "must-have."
Russia now faces a difficult choice: accept thin profits and turn resources into cash, or hold on and let resources go to waste? This negotiation gives China leverage, while Russia's complaints are just a helpless incident in the unequal game of power.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1843403373664256/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.