IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v148y2021ipbs0301421520306844.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A rational policy decision or political deal? A multiple streams' examination of the Russia-China natural gas pipeline

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Dawei
  • Xu, Hang

Abstract

After more than twenty years of waiting, the first gas pipeline connecting Russia and China—the Power of Siberia—began transporting gas in December 2019. Although much has been discussed concerning disputes over pricing and the route of this pipeline, the relevant events inside each nation, e.g. China's energy mix transition, its gas pricing reform, the reshuffle of Russia's natural gas industry, etc., that helped catalyze the deal have yet to be fleshed out. This paper analyzes the decision-making behind the deal using the multiple streams framework (MSF) which is well suited for the examination of decision-making under circumstances of ambiguity. Our analysis demonstrates the ambiguous policymaking circumstances for the gas deal and reveals how policy disputes over price and routing paralleled and interacted with the changing political landscapes and shifting problem agendas in both nations before they were coupled together by political leaders in 2014. The insights derived here are also helpful in analyzing other cross-border pipeline deals.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Dawei & Xu, Hang, 2021. "A rational policy decision or political deal? A multiple streams' examination of the Russia-China natural gas pipeline," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:148:y:2021:i:pb:s0301421520306844
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111973
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421520306844
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111973?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Heurlin,Christopher, 2016. "Responsive Authoritarianism in China," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107131132, October.
    2. Kropatcheva, Elena, 2014. "He who has the pipeline calls the tune? Russia's energy power against the background of the shale “revolutions”," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-10.
    3. Catherine Locatelli, 2014. "The Russian gas industry : challenges to the "Gazprom model"," Post-Print halshs-00853776, HAL.
    4. Kratochvíl, Petr & Tichý, Lukáš, 2013. "EU and Russian discourse on energy relations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 391-406.
    5. Vatansever, Adnan, 2017. "Is Russia building too many pipelines? Explaining Russia's oil and gas export strategy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 1-11.
    6. Paltsev, Sergey & Zhang, Danwei, 2015. "Natural gas pricing reform in China: Getting closer to a market system?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 43-56.
    7. Liu, Dawei & Yamaguchi, Kensuke & Yoshikawa, Hisashi, 2017. "Understanding the motivations behind the Myanmar-China energy pipeline: Multiple streams and energy politics in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 403-412.
    8. Elena Shadrina, 2014. "Russia’s Dilemmas about China's Gas Market," The Northeast Asian Economic Review, ERINA - Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia, vol. 2(2), pages 51-73, October.
    9. Mareš, Miroslav & Laryš, Martin, 2012. "Oil and natural gas in Russia's eastern energy strategy: Dream or reality?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 436-448.
    10. Catherine Locatelli, 2014. "The Russian gas industry: challenges to the 'Gazprom model'?," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 53-66, March.
    11. Nathan, Hippu Salk Kristle & Kulkarni, Sanket Sudhir & Ahuja, Dilip R., 2013. "Pipeline politics—A study of India′s proposed cross border gas projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 145-156.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Weixin & Pan, Lingying & Ding, Qinyi, 2023. "Dynamic analysis of natural gas substitution for crude oil: Scenario simulation and quantitative evaluation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    2. Shuguang Liu & Jiayi Wang & Yin Long, 2023. "Research into the Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Technological Innovation in China’s Natural Gas Industry from the Perspective of Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-34, April.
    3. Wen, Kai & Lu, Yangfan & Lu, Meitong & Zhang, Wenwei & Zhu, Ming & Qiao, Dan & Meng, Fanpeng & Zhang, Jing & Gong, Jing & Hong, Bingyuan, 2022. "Multi-period optimal infrastructure planning of natural gas pipeline network system integrating flowrate allocation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    4. Kulmer, Veronika & Seebauer, Sebastian & Hinterreither, Helene & Kortschak, Dominik & Theurl, Michaela C. & Haas, Willi, 2022. "Transforming the s-shape: Identifying and explaining turning points in market diffusion curves of low-carbon technologies in Austria," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    5. Xin Guan & Xiangyi Lu & Yang Wen, 2022. "Is China’s Natural Gas Consumption Converging? Empirical Research Based on Spatial Econometrics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Natalia Krasnoshtanova, 2023. "Sustainability of Local Communities in a New Oil and Gas Region: The Case of Eastern Siberia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mehdi Abbas & Catherine Locatelli, 2019. "Interdependence as a lever for national hybridization: The EU-Russia gas trade [L’hybridation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l’interdépendance. Les échanges gaziers UE-Russie]," Post-Print hal-02472141, HAL.
    2. Mehdi Abbas & Catherine Locatelli, 2020. "National institutional systems’ hybridisation through interdependence. The case of EU-Russia gas relations," Post-Print hal-02272171, HAL.
    3. Locatelli, C., 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers 2018-03, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    4. Catherine Locatelli, 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers hal-01715932, HAL.
    5. Giovanni Covi, 2014. "Dutch disease and sustainability of the Russian political economy," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(2), pages 75-110.
    6. Catherine Locatelli, 2020. "Une lecture institutionnaliste de la réforme du secteur gazier russe," Working Papers hal-02734835, HAL.
    7. Alexander N. Alekseev & Aleksei V. Bogoviz & Ludmila P. Goncharenko & Sergey A. Sybachin, 2019. "A Critical Review of Russia s Energy Strategy in the Period until 2035," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(6), pages 95-102.
    8. Sauvageot, Eric Pardo, 2020. "Between Russia as producer and Ukraine as a transit country: EU dilemma of interdependence and energy security," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    9. Yulia Vyacheslavovna Ragulina & Aleksei Valentinovich Bogoviz & Svetlana Vladislavlevna Lobova & Alexander Nikolaevich Alekseev, 2019. "An Aggregated Energy Security Index of Russia, 1990-2015," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(1), pages 212-217.
    10. Catherine Locatelli & Mehdi Abbas & Sylvain Rossiaud, 2015. "Russia and China hydrocarbon relations A building block toward international hydrocarbon regulation?," Working Papers hal-01246346, HAL.
    11. Locatelli, C., 2020. "Une lecture institutionnaliste de la réforme du secteur gazier russe," Working Papers 2020-04, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    12. Catherine Locatelli, 2015. "Les échanges gaziers entre la Russie et la Chine à l’ aune de leur sécurité énergétique," Post-Print hal-01206226, HAL.
    13. Natalya S. Shcherbakova & Yulia A. Nazarova & Olga S. Kirichenko & Oleg A. Gorunov & Andrey V. Dubrovsky, 2020. "Evaluation of Gas Industry Competitiveness in the Foreign Market," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(6), pages 272-279.
    14. Natalya S. Shcherbakova & Yulia A. Nazarova & Natalia A. Navrotskaia & Nataliya V. Bondarchuk & Alla V. Vavilina, 2020. "Evaluation of the Gas Industry Company s Competitiveness in the Domestic Market," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 401-408.
    15. Elizaveta S. Sokolova & Olga V. Panina & Natalia L. Krasyukova & Nikolay P. Kushchev, 2022. "Armenian Energy System Development: The Prospects of EAEU Single Energy Market," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 258-265.
    16. Anna M. Chernysheva & Nikolay P. Gusakov & Alexandra A. Trofimova & Mariya A. Bulatenko, 2019. "Diversification of Transit Risks of Oil Supplies Bypassing Ukraine as the Basis of Energy Security in Europe," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(6), pages 461-468.
    17. Zhang, Yi & Ji, Qiang & Fan, Ying, 2018. "The price and income elasticity of China's natural gas demand: A multi-sectoral perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 332-341.
    18. Burke, Paul J. & Yang, Hewen, 2016. "The price and income elasticities of natural gas demand: International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 466-474.
    19. Shangfeng Han & Baosheng Zhang & Xiaoyang Sun & Song Han & Mikael Höök, 2017. "China’s Energy Transition in the Power and Transport Sectors from a Substitution Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-25, April.
    20. Wang, Zuyi & Kim, Man-Keun, 2022. "Price bubbles in oil & gas markets and their transfer," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:148:y:2021:i:pb:s0301421520306844. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.