According to a confirmation given by the Russian Energy Ministry to Reuters on January 16, 2026, Russia is reportedly in negotiations with Beijing potentially to restart power supply to China. This comes after one of the Russian media reports stated that China had halted Russian electricity imports because of high prices.
Kommersant, the Russian business daily, reported on January 16, 2026, that since January 1 China had stopped purchasing any electricity from Russia.
China’s refusal to buy Russian electricity was due to high prices of Russian exports, which in 2026 reported exceeded domestic power prices in China for the first time, Kommersant confirmed, citing sources who were familiar with the matter.
Notably, the electricity exports to China from Russia are most unlikely to resume in 2026 because the higher Russian export price vis-a-vis Chinese domestic power prices on January 1 goes on to make purchases uneconomical for Beijing, say sources from Kommersant.
However, the electricity supply contract between both countries stands valid until 2037. Kommersant noted that the Russian Energy Ministry could restart the exports if China requests it.
Remarking on the price dispute, the Russian ministry told Reuters that “Russia could resume electricity exports to China if it receives a corresponding request from Beijing and if mutually beneficial cooperation terms are reached.”
The ministry further added that Russia’s priority is ensuring to meet the rising demand for electricity in the Far East regions of Russia. Yet, if both the parties reach a deal on pricing, Russia could very well restart supply to China.
According to InterRAO, the Russian supplier that exports electricity to China, neither side is looking to end the contract of Russian electricity imports.
InterRAO remarked that “at present, the parties are actively exploring opportunities for electricity trade.”
As close as they are, both China and Russia have had numerous energy squabbles when it comes to prices, which China regards as unfavorable.
Interestingly, one of the most prominent examples is the planned massive Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia. A final agreement pertaining to the Power of Siberia 2 has been hard to pin down because of some points of contention, which include the price at which Gazprom from Russia is going to be delivering the gas.
