China aims to step up Russian energy cooperation despite US sanctions calls

China has outlined steps to increase energy cooperation with Russia despite discussions in the United States about possible new sanctions against Beijing over the war in Ukraine.

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang told the Sixth China-Russia Energy Business Forum in Moscow on Tuesday that China would seek to “solidly advance cooperation in energy trade and investment” with its top crude oil supplier.

Ding had proposed putting “large scale” energy projects in motion, working together on hydrogen power and cooperating further along the energy “supply chain”, China’s State Council said on Wednesday.

Cooperation should go deeper in “promising areas”, such as renewable energy and carbon markets, Ding said.

The vice-premier suggested stronger “integrated cooperation” in upstream, midstream and downstream energy supply chains with upgrades to related cross-border infrastructure.

He also floated the idea of using “multilateral platforms” to create a “fair, balanced and inclusive” global system of governing energy.