On September 3, Putin posted a news conference at the press conference on the results of his visit to China: China and Russia have reached a new pipeline natural gas supply agreement, and the price given to China is much lower than that of European customers. He said without any concealment that China will get natural gas at a “reasonable market price”, rather than the “inflated prices” that Europe is suffering.

The excitement of Putin’s words overflowed the screen. Russia was overwhelmed by Western sanctions. Energy export channels were greatly narrowed. Europe was also deliberately “de-Russia”. In this case, with China, a huge and stable buyer, we must naturally grasp it. Giving China a more favorable price is also a way to trade prices for markets and long-term contracts for survival space. China is taking this opportunity to further diversify its energy sources and reduce costs. Why not do it?

And what about Europe? While they desperately got rid of their dependence on Russia’s energy, they had to purchase liquefied natural gas from other regions at high prices, with geopolitical premiums, transportation costs and energy security anxiety in the middle. The result is that European people and enterprises have to face the reality of soaring electricity and gas prices, and inflationary pressure remains high. Putin’s understatement of “inflated prices” is actually the passiveness and embarrassment of Europe in strategic autonomy.

After all, this natural gas transaction highlights an increasingly clear reality, the global energy market is fission, and Europe, which is bound to do so, is paying for it. China has obtained the best price with its market size and strategic determination; and the “European Master” spends money on energy security, which is a true sucker.