China's Intentions for Russian and Central Asian Oil and gas

Dr. Gaye Christoffersen, president of Asia Pacific Research Associates, examines China’s political, economic, and security intentions for Russian and Central Asian oil and gas reserves and analyzes the implications of Sino-Kazak and Sino-Russian oil cooperation. Dr. Christoffersen points out that China’s increased influence in Russia and Central Asia raises a number of challenges for policymakers, including: lack of transparency in the bidding process; the potential exclusion of meaningful U.S. involvement; and a possible military component to petroleum agreements. Nevertheless, she concludes that pipelines to China from Central Asia and Russia would help to diversify Northeast Asian energy supply, reducing the region’s dependence on supplies from the Middle East, helping to meet the growing demand for resources, and offering Western companies alternative routes to transport their oil and gas from the former Soviet Union.