The Bear And The Dragon: Russia Pivots To China In The Face Of Western Sanctions
Nathan VanderKlippe
BEIJING The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Apr. 25 2014, 5:35 PM EDT
On March 20, the U.S. authorized sanctions against billionaire Gennady Timchenko amid the escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Three weeks later, the Russian tycoon, who amassed a fortune trading oil and selling natural gas, appeared on Russian television. He was not in Russia at the time. He was in China. The West, he said, was pushing us away. China was not. In fact, Chinese companies were talking with Mr. Timchenko about buying more of Russias abundant energy.
There is a market with a lot of potential developing in the Asia-Pacific region, said the billionaire, who boasts close ties to Vladimir Putin and has been called one of Russias most powerful men.
This week, the countrys Prime Minister was even more explicit: We are interested in diversifying today more so than ever before. Therefore we are implementing solutions for the export of gas and oil to Asian and Pacific countries, first and foremost China, Dmitry Medvedev said on Russian television.
As the global fissures radiating from Russias moves against Ukraine call into question the future of its ties with Western powers, Russia is increasingly casting its gaze east, to a distant border long neglected. In May, Mr. Putin is expected to come to Beijing to sign a major contract that will see Russia pipe vast quantities of natural gas to China. It will mark the sixth meeting between Mr. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the beginning of 2013, as Russia pushes for a pivot east that has taken on sudden new urgency in the wake of the countrys moves in Ukraine, which have earned it global criticism, and an increasing likelihood of punitive sanctions.
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