According to The Wall Street Journal, as reported by *Kommersant*, Chinese partners are ready to approve the construction of the “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline on one fundamental condition: gas supplies must be provided at the same prices that apply on the Russian market.

This position was articulated by Chinese representatives during negotiations with Gazprom’s top management ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s May visit to Beijing, the publication’s sources claim. As the newspaper emphasizes, Beijing’s proposal effectively amounts to Russia subsidizing the project.

During his trip on May 19–20, the Russian leader held a series of meetings with Chinese leaders, including talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. A number of cooperation agreements were signed. As Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted, the parties expressed their intention to accelerate work on “Power of Siberia 2,” although no specific timeline was set out in the documents.

A framework agreement between Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation on the construction of a new gas pipeline was signed last September. According to the project, the total length of the pipeline will be approximately 6,700 km, of which more than 2,700 km will be on Russian territory.

The pipeline is planned to be laid through Mongolia. Up to 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas will be exported to China annually via the new route.