China, not Russia, could shape Asia’s energy future, speakers say.

China apparently could be in a better position than Russia to directly influence future Asian oil and gas development and policies, speakers agreed during a Sept. 22 discussion at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Andrew C. Kuchins, the CSIS Russia and Eurasia program’s deputy director, said Russia’s economic growth has stagnated the last 2 years as China’s has risen. “Even though China’s population is aging, Russia faces more challenging demographics,” he said, adding that both countries have different strategic priorities. “Russia also wants to make China more dependent on it for energy,” he said.