https://www.scmp.com/rss/329290/feed Dmitriy Frolovskiy is a political analyst and independent journalist. He is a consultant on policy and strategy, and has written about Russia’s foreign policy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Beijing’s quest for diversification of its iron ore supplies raises hopes in Russia. Moscow sees it as an opportunity to boost bilateral trade and hedge its exports against new Western sanctions. China’s demand for iron ore has steadily grown in recent years. Today, it buys about 70 per cent of all seaborne iron ore and is the world’s biggest consumer of the commodity. Most of its supplies come from abroad, predominantly from Brazil and Australia. By various estimates, about 60 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3161733/russia-eyeing-australias-place-chinas-top-iron-ore-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3161733/russia-eyeing-australias-place-chinas-top-iron-ore-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jan 2022 01:30:19 +0000 The pandemic has boosted the global appetite for renewables, yet Russia is focusing on its colossal Vostok Oil project, which promises to be one of the largest fossil fuel production projects in the history of the country, comparable in size with the production in West Siberia in the 1970s. This month, Rosneft, Russia’s biggest oil company, has started holding meetings with foreign contractors and suppliers for the project, which is valued at up to US$170 billion. The project is expected to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139054/china-factor-why-russia-still-betting-big-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139054/china-factor-why-russia-still-betting-big-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 01:15:19 +0000 Many oil refiners have announced project delays as crude oil prices fall amid a global economic downturn. Yet, while petrol-producing refineries in the US and Europe are struggling, China and other Asian countries, where local economies are recovering, are seeing a steady increase in refining capacity. This is driven by demand for plastics and petrochemicals, which have recovered from an earlier dip in demand. However, the uncertain situation across oil markets and shifting global consumption... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119861/asian-demand-fuelling-chinas-growth-petrochemicals-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119861/asian-demand-fuelling-chinas-growth-petrochemicals-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jan 2021 07:30:15 +0000 Russia’s economy is doing better than many anticipated, but its medium-term trajectory still looks bleak. Declining oil revenue, crackdowns on investors and threats of new sanctions contribute to gloomy forecasts with marginal chances for improvement. Even before the pandemic, economic growth had been sluggish. In 2019, Russian authorities pledged to accelerate economic expansion and announced state spending of roughly US$400 billion across six years in key areas such as infrastructure and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103463/coronavirus-pandemics-hit-russias-economy-should-prompt-structural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103463/coronavirus-pandemics-hit-russias-economy-should-prompt-structural?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2020 08:30:14 +0000 Moscow and Beijing have been working on strengthening economic ties in recent years, and even the pandemic could not offset these plans. With China rebounding from its Covid-19 lockdown and recording a world-beating growth rate, bilateral exchange could increase faster than predicted. In December, Russia and China concluded their eleventh consecutive year of growth in trade. The turnover totalled US$110.75 billion and increased by 3.4 per cent in annual terms. Although the rise is much lower... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098639/why-china-russia-economic-ties-will-emerge-coronavirus-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098639/why-china-russia-economic-ties-will-emerge-coronavirus-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2020 13:45:15 +0000 Even as Russia’s economy modestly rebounds amid rising oil prices, its pivot to the east is expected to persist. But while China has already become Russia’s major trading partner, helping offset the impact of geopolitical uncertainty with the West, the Kremlin is now striving to assert itself as an indispensable destination for Beijing amid the trade war with Washington. Russia’s economic growth reached a six-year high last year, but despite the need to introduce effective structural reforms and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3009679/china-and-russia-arent-economic-equals-thanks-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3009679/china-and-russia-arent-economic-equals-thanks-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2019 19:00:07 +0000 As Washington and Beijing continue to spar over trade relations, education could ultimately bear the brunt. The sector that traditionally spurs progress could emerge as another stumbling block to China’s relations with the West – the trade war could lead to “education wars”. December marked the 40th anniversary of China’s opening up; it had also been 41 years since all Chinese students were allowed to compete for a place in college. Education has been at the forefront of national development... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2182376/first-trade-now-education-why-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2182376/first-trade-now-education-why-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:00:30 +0000 As China clamps down on air pollution, Beijing is seeking to replace coal plants with cleaner-burning natural gas, especially for heating during winter. Consequently, China has intensified relations with Russia, one of the world’s leading gas exporters, to expand energy ties. Although increasing gas use works towards alleviating some of the tensions inherent in the generation of energy, the move doesn’t address the underlying issue of pollution – the fact that China continues to rely on coal and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2178642/russian-gas-imports-wont-improve-chinas-air-quality-when?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2178642/russian-gas-imports-wont-improve-chinas-air-quality-when?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:30:30 +0000 Vladimir Putin is sending a clear signal that he seeks to expand the multifaceted diplomatic efforts that comprise Moscow’s “pivot to Asia” by attending the East Asia Summit in Singapore, on November 14 and 15. With the never-ending battle over sanctions souring Russia’s relations with both Europe and the United States, Asia remains the most promising arena for Russian diplomatic and commercial engagement. The Russian president’s attendance is already noteworthy in and of itself, given that the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2172721/putin-pivots-asia-will-more-russian-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2172721/putin-pivots-asia-will-more-russian-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Nov 2018 05:30:00 +0000