ИСТИНА

Russia is increasingly focused on developing the Russian Arctic as a way to strengthen its economic base. It has the longest Arctic coastline, vast resources and the prospects of a new trade route. China has recently become a key actor in the Arctic. It has displayed an interest in the resources of several Arctic states, an ambition to utilize the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a strong research agenda on climate change in the region and has a permanent observer status in the Arctic Council. China’s growing interest and Russia’s main role in the Arctic improve general bilateral relations in the region. Chinese involvement in Russia’s Arctic is expected to raise, depending on continued retracting ice conditions, oil prices, increase infrastructure development and improve Beijing’s developing relationship with Moscow. Russia is one of the world’s largest energy exporters and China is one of the largest energy importers. The Russian Far East and the Russian Arctic are rich in energy resources and minerals yet lack infrastructure, capital and technology, which are all areas where China has something to contribute. Chinese–Russian relations and energy cooperation have turned strategic with large agreements on the delivery of economic cooperation in the Arctic. In May 2015, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination and Advocating Win–Win Cooperation. This was followed in June 2016 by the China–Russia Joint Statement on Strengthening Global Strategic Stability. These two statements reflect how, at the highest political level, China and Russia increasingly share similar analyses of developments in the international system.In general, it is observed that Russian–Chinese technological cooperation in the oil and gas sectors has increased. In February 2013 the head of Novatek visited China as part of an official Russian delegation to discuss the possibilities of cooperation on Yamal LNG, Novatek’s main Arctic project. As a result of this visit and several consequent rounds of negotiations, Novatek and the CNPC signed a contract on 5 September 2013 for the sale of a 20 per cent stake in Yamal LNG. And today, China has provided up to 60 per cent of the capital to implement this project. Whereas China is primarily seeking to pursue economic goals, especially access to Russian energy resources in order to secure and diversify its energy supply, Russia is looking to strengthen its strategic relationship with China.