Hu Jintao, the Chinese leader, begins a state visit to Russia today that both sides hope will culminate in signing a landmark gas agreement cementing ties between the world’s biggest energy consumer and producer.
However, Russian and Chinese gas officials were still trying on Tuesday to agree the commercial terms of a deal that would pave the way for the supply of 68bn cubic metres of Siberian gas a year to China for the next 30 years.
Mr Hu will hold talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s president, in the Kremlin on Wednesday before attending an economic conference in St Petersburg later this week, where the two men are expected to flag progress on the gas talks, even if a final deal has not been clinched.