Russia Eyes New Gas Route to China, Betting Big on Growing Demand

Russia is eyeing yet another pipeline to China, this time via Kazakhstan, capable of delivering up to 35 bcm of natural gas annually. Announced by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, the plan comes as Moscow pivots hard toward Beijing, already shipping 40 bcm of gas to the Asian giant this year. With Europe now firmly out of the picture, China is the Kremlin’s star energy customer, even if gas accounts for just 2.8% of Beijing’s energy mix. The logic is simple: China likes gas, and its appetite is growing. Domestic consumption surged…