By leveraging its teapot refineries to purchase crude from sanctioned nations like Iran and Venezuela, China capitalizes on significant price discounts. A Reuters report calculated that this strategy saved the country approximately $10 billion on crude oil imports in a single year, highlighting a major economic benefit of its geopolitical positioning.

China's renewed commitment to the previously stalled Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline is a direct geopolitical response to the U.S. using trade and energy as weapons. This move signals a strategic pivot to reduce its energy dependency on the Western Hemisphere amid escalating trade tensions.

While China gains access to resources, its de facto alliance with Russia is a long-term liability. It damages relations with Europe and risks entanglement in conflicts where China has little interest, driven by Russia's own quarrels and irresponsible international behavior.

Due to sanctions, Iran's oil exports go almost exclusively to China. This monopsony gives Beijing immense leverage, allowing it to demand deep price discounts and pay in yuan. The funds are held in Chinese banks, restricting Iran to using them only for Chinese goods, crippling its ability to buy essentials elsewhere.

President Stubb observes that China, initially "baffled" by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has transitioned to a position of dominance. Russia is now in a "vassal type of a relationship," completely dependent on China for financial support and dual-use materials, fundamentally altering the power dynamic between the two nations.

Russia, as a commodity superpower, profits from the instability that drives up oil and gas prices. Conversely, China's economic model depends on integrated global markets and trade. This fundamental difference in core interests presents a strategic opportunity for the West to drive a wedge between the two powers.

US sanctions on Russian LNG facilities are not primarily about punishing Russia for Ukraine, but are a strategic move in a global "LNG war." The US is using LNG as a tool of foreign policy and national security, meaning these sanctions are unlikely to be lifted even with a peace deal.

The high-level summit is less about idealistic cooperation and more a transactional negotiation to divide the world into spheres of influence. This trade involves access to critical resources like energy and rare earths in exchange for geopolitical de-escalation in key regions like South America and the Middle East.

The alternative currency systems Russia built with China, while operational, are expensive and inefficient. More critically, they have made Russia increasingly dependent on Beijing, a relationship that feels more like a "leash" than a partnership, motivating them to seek the stability of the dollar system again.