The Ukraine war is also part of a global struggle for oil and gas. The USA wants to sell more of it to Europe. China, in turn, wants to be less dependent on oil and gas from the US and its allies – and is leaning toward Russia. Beijing's long-term commitments give Russian President Vladimir Putin the necessary leeway for this war.
By Frank Sieren
If Russia is cut off from international payment flows, China could step in with an expansion of its yuan trade. However, it cannot fully replace the dollar for Russia. Moreover, the Russian financial market would become completely dependent on China.
By
On the road to a greener electricity mix, power security is also an important matter for China. Just last fall, power shortages even crippled factories in some provinces. A massive expansion of power storage facilities is supposed to ensure that something like that doesn't happen again - but there are difficulties with financing.
By Nico Beckert
