The energy factor in political relations between Moscow and Beijing: 2000-2015

Today Sino-Russian multidimensional relations are perhaps their best ever in their history. Now that China is the world's second largest oil consumer and a growing consumer of natural gas and Russia is the world's second oil producer and biggest natural gas exporter, China and Russia within the framework of common interests appear to be a good match in the energy area. Hence Sino-Russian relations have gained a new momentum in the 21st century. However, the Sino-Russian energy relationship has not reached the level of the development their geographical proximity and economic potential. As far as Sino-Russian energy partnership is concerned, especially during the last years many advances have been achieved in the oil and natural gas sectors. The key question is whether Sino-Russian energy cooperation will move to more strategic level. Many of the future challenges awaiting Sino-Russian relations will involve coping with unpredictable external developments, such as the impact of U.S. policies, probable political changes in Central Asia and in the Middle East and other transnational problems. The material gap between the two states grows wider, but this leads neither to tensions between them, nor does it restrict their co-operation. On the contrary, the pace of rapprochement accelerated in the wake of Ukraine crises. To explain and understand this evolution of their relationship it is important to evaluate their relationship in bilateral, regional and global levels. In order to better analyze the Sino-Russian developing relationship, one should take into account mistrust, lack of understanding and rivalry between the two countries. Therefore, to understand Sino-Russian partnership, it is important to see how relations between the two countries fit into each other's foreign policy framework. So this study aims to explore the energy courtship between the two nations and analyzes their interests and policies on a wide range of issues, including security, political relationships, economic interactions, defense ties and international developments. Keywords: Russo-Chinese Relations, Energy, Energy Security, Cooperation, Oil, Natural Gas,Pipeline, U.S.A., Central Asia, Competition, Economy