The Birth of a Eurasian Century: Russia and China do Pipelineistan- Pepe Escobar

[go west young man]

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/05/birth-eurasian-century-russia-china-pipelineistan.html


Excerpt:

A specter is haunting Washington, an unnerving vision of a Sino-Russian alliance wedded to an expansive symbiosis of trade and commerce across much of the Eurasian land mass — at the expense of the United States.

And no wonder Washington is anxious. That alliance is already a done deal in a variety of ways: through the BRICS group of emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa); at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Asian counterweight to NATO; inside the G20; and via the 120-member-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Trade and commerce are just part of the future bargain. Synergies in the development of new military technologies beckon as well. After Russia’s Star Wars-style, ultra-sophisticated S-500 air defense anti-missile system comes online in 2018, Beijing is sure to want a version of it. Meanwhile, Russia is about to sell dozens of state-of-the-art Sukhoi Su-35 jet fighters to the Chinese as Beijing and Moscow move to seal an aviation-industrial partnership.

This week should provide the first real fireworks in the celebration of a new Eurasian century-in-the-making when Russian President Vladimir Putin drops in on Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. You remember “Pipelineistan,” all those crucial oil and gas pipelines crisscrossing Eurasia that make up the true circulatory system for the life of the region. Now, it looks like the ultimate Pipelineistan deal, worth $1 trillion and 10 years in the making, will be inked as well. In it, the giant, state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom will agree to supply the giant state-controlled China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 3.75 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas a day for no less than 30 years, starting in 2018. That’s the equivalent of a quarter of Russia’s massive gas exports to all of Europe. China’s current daily gas demand is around 16 billion cubic feet a day, and imports account for 31.6% of total consumption.

[Peace Patriot]

1. Pepe Escobar, always on the ball! Such a good reporter!

Thanks for posting this!

[Igel]

3. And spot-on accurate.

Then again, his hopes got the better of him.

No deal inked. Russian asking price too high.

The "Eurasian" deal is this. You (Russia) are the link, the binder, creating a bridge between East and West. As such, you are dominant. Everything flows through you. You essentially are better than either, having the best of each, and as such get to dominate both.

What Russia would naturally be is a bridge, say the GW Bridge across the Hudson. Now, it's nice and all, and certainly is important, but it's hardly controlling NYC or North Jersey. It's infrastructure. If it were to get uppity then there's no doubt that North Jersey and NYC would just simply find a way around it. As long as it knows its place all's fine. In fact if it gets too strong you'd find that NYC and N. Jersey would find a way to take it down a notch.

[go west young man]

4. Good to see you posting again.

I haven't seen you posting in a while and I've always enjoyed reading your posts going way back.

[yurbud]

2. this is what's really going on. Why DC thinks that bullying will change it

is beyond idiotic.

[polly7]

5. Kick and recommend. nt.

[bemildred]

6. Russia, China sign natural gas deal, cementing friendship

Russia and China signed a landmark $400-billion natural gas deal Wednesday, sealing their friendship at a time when both are unpopular in their neighborhoods and at odds with the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin desperately needed to seal the long-negotiated deal to make up for the loss of European customers, which have spurned Russia over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media Wednesday in Shanghai, China. (Alexei Druzhinin / AP)

Putin witnessed the signing Wednesday in Shanghai along with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders were on the last day of a security summit. The actual signing was done by the heads of the two countries' state-owned energy giants, Russia's Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corp.

Ahead of the meeting, Putin had extolled Beijing as a most "reliable friend."

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-russia-china-natural-gas-deal-20140521-story.html#navtype=outfit

[pscot]

7. President Mc Cain is gonna be pissed

Has vice president Palin commented yet?