Why does this matter? China gets more than 50% discount on LNG imports from Russia is a massive sign of Russian desperation and China putting the screws to them.
Russia isn’t doing this because they really like China. This shows they have no leverage or options at this point. The big picture of money coming in for Russia greatly affects their warfighting capability. This type of agreement is worth paying attention to.
China doesn’t really pick sides. They pick what is good for China.
and owning siberia is good economically for them.
I get your point, but I have a nitpick. This is not about China or Russia but rather about Xi and Putin. It’s about their personal power and enrichment, what’s best for their countries or the people don’t matter to them.
Indeed, and Russia knows this. But hubris takes up a bigger part of their brutalist psyche than their fear of china at the moment