Russia’s Far East Has Become Crucial For China’s Energy Ambitions
On December 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part, via videoconference, in the commissioning ceremony for the Kovykta gas field, the largest in Eastern Siberia (Kremlin.ru, December 21, 2022). The field’s recoverable reserves are estimated at 1.8 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, but they are almost entirely reserved for Chinese consumers. For these purposes, the Power of Siberia pipeline was built, through which it is planned to pump about 27 billion cubic meters of gas to China annually. According to Tatiana Zabortseva…