China in Russia's arctic LNG projects: motivation for participation, role and deliverables

Since 2013, China has been actively participating in Russia’s hydrocarbon development in the Arctic. Due to China’s ever-rising energy consumption and demand in hydrocarbon imports, “green” development drive and Beijing’s energy policy of coal-to-gas switching, China’s primary interests in Russian Arctic’s hydrocarbon development are focused on cooperation in the implementation of LNG projects, and Russia’s Arctic oil projects have not inspired Chinese investors’ enthusiasm so far. China is currently the largest foreign shareholder in Russia’s Arctic LNG projects - the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2. The authors explain the motivation for China’s participation in Russia’s Arctic LNG projects, define the role of China in the implementation of relevant projects, and evaluate the intermediate results of Russia-China cooperation in the field of LNG production in the Russian Arctic from the point of view of their compliance with Chinese interests.