Gazprom signs “legally binding agreement” in Beijing. Chinese leader praises ties with Moscow and mentions his proposal for a new world order: “Let’s work together for fairer global governance.”
Russian energy giant Gazprom has signed a “legally binding agreement” for the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline to China and the Soyuz Vostok transit pipeline through Mongolia, Bloomberg reported, citing Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller as saying to the Interfax news agency.
Currently, Russia supplies gas to China through another pipeline, the Power of Siberia, with an estimated transport capacity of 38 billion cubic meters per year. Starting in 2027, the so-called “Far Eastern route” is expected to increase the annual flow of Russian gas to China by another 10 billion cubic meters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met briefly in Beijing, a testament to the close ties the two have developed since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Xi welcomed Putin to the Great Hall of the People, calling him an "old friend." He added, according to Chinese state media, that "China-Russia relations have withstood changes in international circumstances," calling them "a good example of good neighborly friendship, global strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation."
XI for a New World Order: "Building a Fairer System of Global Governance"
"My global governance initiative aims to cooperate with all countries that share the same ideals to firmly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and promote the building of a more just and equitable system of global governance," Xi Jinping said during the meeting with Putin.
Xi reiterated his proposal for a new world order, presented the day before at the SCO summit in Tianjin, to overcome the current US-dominated system. Putin supported the initiative, calling it "very appropriate and necessary" and adding that it would play an important role in "solving the global governance deficit," according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Putin thanked his "dear friend" Xi Jinping for the "warm welcome" in China. According to him, bilateral relations have reached an "unprecedented level." "Our close communications reflect the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese ties, which are currently at an unprecedented level," Putin added. "We have always been together in the past and will be together in the future."
Meetings with other Asian leaders and the project through Mongolia
Since the morning, Xi has held bilateral meetings with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
He then met with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, in a meeting that became trilateral due to Putin's involvement. The trio was particularly in the spotlight due to speculation about the unblocking of the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project, aimed at at least doubling the current gas transport capacity from Russia to China. In addition to Beijing's reservations about the plan, the envisaged route includes the construction of a segment through Mongolian territory.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in China with senior party and government officials
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is being accompanied by senior Workers' Party and government officials during his unusual visit to China, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, to attend a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
According to the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Kim's special, armored train crossed the border with China early this morning. Photos posted show Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Director of the International Department Kim Song-nam on board. It is not known whether his wife, Ri Sol-ju, or his daughter Ju-ae are with him.
Shortly before the departure, Party secretaries Jo Yong-won and Kim Tok-hun were seen receiving instructions from Kim at Pyongyang railway station. It is unusual for state media to immediately report on a foreign trip by the supreme leader – for example, during his visit to Russia in September 2023, the news was made public just two days after he left Pyongyang.
Kim's train is expected to arrive in Beijing in the afternoon, ahead of the anniversary event, after crossing the bridge over the Yalu River connecting the cities of Sinuiju and Dandong. The journey from Pyongyang to Beijing usually takes about 20 hours, due to the armored and heavy trains, which travel at a maximum speed of 60 km/h. This is Kim's first visit to China in nearly seven years.
North Korea also revealed that the leader visited an institute of the General Academy of Chemical Materials under the country's Missile Administration on Monday and met with experts in research on carbon fiber composite materials. According to KCNA, "respected comrade Kim Jong-un" spoke about achievements in applied research on engines, which are capable of generating a maximum thrust of 1,960 kilonewtons, for use in the Hwasongpho-19 intercontinental ballistic missile and the new-generation Hwasongpho-20 missile.
