Japan and China battle for Russian oil supplies [View All]

[dArKeR]

Energy-hungry Asian rivals China and Japan are locked in a fierce struggle for supplies of Russian crude, allowing Russia to bargain hard as it chooses where to build a pipeline from its Siberian oil fields.

After a decade of patiently courting Russia to build a US$2.5 billion, 2,400km pipeline from Angarsk to the northeastern Chinese city of Daqing, China is facing a determined last-ditch challenge from its neighbour.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pushed Tokyo's case for a more expensive 4,000km route to the Russian Pacific port of Nakhodka, on the Sea of Japan, when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin last week on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bangkok.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2003/10/27/2003073607

I wonder if this has anything to do with Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky being arrested?