Russo-Chinese energy relations: Never-ending Foreplay?

As the officially anointed Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his first state visit abroad to Moscow, speculations are abound about a long-awaited breakthrough in energy relations between the two giants. Caution, however is warranted. The honeymoon in Russo-Chinese energy relations has been elusive and progress rather slow and uneven in the past years. China’s tactical patience coupled with the division between various Russian interest groups won the upper hand for Beijing in the complex gas price negotiations, which is the key to a potential strategic energy partnership.