Baku (Reuters) – Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russian oil giant Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and one of President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, said on Thursday that China’s leaders and said Taiwan will return to its “home port” on October 27. time.
Sechin said the decisions taken at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party, which cemented Xi Jinping’s position as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, would bring China to a new level of development.
The deepening “unlimited” partnership between China, a rising superpower, and Russia, a natural resource powerhouse, is one of the most interesting geopolitical developments in recent years, and the West watches with trepidation. increase.
“The position of the (China’s) leadership is highly regarded, and it is somewhat exaggerated in this respect that it has presented its position calmly and frankly without any false assumptions on even the most difficult issues, such as the Taiwan issue. ,” Sechin said earlier at the International Economic Forum in Baku in Verona, Italy.
He said the US attempt to create its own complex microchip industry has shown that “Taiwan’s return to its home port” is “on schedule.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the comments, saying only the people of Taiwan could decide their own future.
“Neither our government, our people nor the international community can accept China’s clichéd and absurd remarks or undermine Taiwan’s sovereign status,” it said in a statement.
China claims to democratically rule Taiwan as its own territory and has increased military and political pressure on the island over the past two years. Taipei strongly rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
Russia has repeatedly warned the United States not to interfere in China’s internal affairs, but President Vladimir Putin has warned that after losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong’s communists, the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island in 1949. clearly endorses Xi on the fate of
BP Dividend
Sechin said Rosneft has transferred $700 million in dividends for the second half of 2021 to a special account at BP (BP.L). ” in Ukraine.
BP said its position on Russia would not change.
“In February we announced our decision to exit Rosneft and other Russian operations – we will continue to pursue it,” he said in an emailed comment.
Sechin also said Saudi Arabia’s position in the global oil market was “reasonable” and was based on an analysis of oil supply and demand.
He said the US tried to persuade Saudi Arabia to postpone the cuts as part of OPEC+.
“Today, the (Joe) Biden administration’s energy policy is exclusively solving pre-election challenges with a two-week planning window, given that the U.S. Congressional elections will take place on November 8.” Sechin said.
“This would include at least an attempt to persuade Saudi Arabia to postpone the announcement of this decision until the elections.”
The OPEC Plus group, the world’s leading oil producer that includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed this month to cut total production by 2 million barrels per day despite opposition from the United States to lower fuel prices. .
Saudi Arabia has rejected criticism of OPEC+’s decision to cut its oil production target despite US objections, saying Washington’s request to delay the cuts by a month would have negative economic consequences. rice field.
Reporting by Naylia Bagirova and Olesya Astakhova. Additional reporting by Ron Bousso and Ben Blanchard in London. Written by Vladimir Soldatkin.Editing by Guy Falconbridge, Nick McPhee and Mike Harrison
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