Unprecedented Surge in Russia’s Gas Exports to China

According to RT, data from China’s customs authorities show that the country’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia surged sharply in 2025, reaching a new monthly record in December.

As reported by RIA Novosti, China imported a total of 9.8 million tonnes of the super-chilled fuel last year, marking an 18.3% increase compared to the previous year.

December saw particularly strong growth, with imports rising to 1.9 million tonnes, up from 889,482 tonnes delivered in the final month of 2024 — an increase of 114.6%.

The data also indicate that in October, Russia became China’s second-largest LNG supplier, overtaking Australia and ranking just behind Qatar.

Total Russian gas supplies to China — via pipelines and in liquefied form — reached 5.8 billion cubic meters in November 2025, representing a 33% increase year-on-year.

China’s imports of Russian LNG, as one of the world’s largest gas consumers, have been steadily rising over the past several years.

In addition to pipeline gas exports, Russia has expanded its seaborne shipments from Arctic and Far Eastern projects, including Yamal LNG, Arctic LNG 2, and Sakhalin-2. Cargoes are primarily transported during the summer navigation season via the Northern Sea Route and in winter via longer southern routes.

Moscow has been seeking to expand LNG exports through the Arctic corridor amid Western sanctions targeting key sectors of Russia’s energy industry.

This sharp increase in gas exports reflects a broader shift of Russia’s energy exports toward Asia — a trend that accelerated after a steep decline in pipeline gas supplies to the European Union following the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022. / Tasnim