China has stopped importing electricity from Russia as of January 2026, marking the first time Russian export prices exceeded China’s domestic rates, making purchases economically unviable. Neither side intends to cancel their 2012 long-term contract, but Russia’s Energy Ministry states exports will only resume under “mutually beneficial” terms. China has not publicly commented, signaling a cautious approach to negotiation. Russian electricity exports to China dropped sharply from 4.6 billion kilowatt-hours in 2022 to just 0.3 billion kilowatt-hours in the first nine months of 2025, initially due to Russia’s own power shortages in the Far East. The dispute mirrors stalled negotiations over Russia’s proposed…

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