Russia Surges as Qatar's LNG Deliveries to China Plunge Amid Regional Tensions

The share of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in China's imports has risen significantly over the first seven months of 2026, according to customs statistics cited by S&P Global Energy. This trend is largely due to a decline in deliveries from Qatar, where production at main liquefaction sites was halted following attacks targeting industrial facilities.

The main driver of Russia's gains is Arctic LNG 2, a Russian gas project sanctioned by US authorities. Deliveries to China only began recently and pass exclusively through a dedicated terminal in the Guangxi autonomous region, operated by PipeChina. The ramp-up of these deliveries stems from improved navigation conditions along the Northern Sea Route and the expansion of the dedicated LNG carrier fleet.

The decline in Qatari gas imports is attributed to regional tensions, which have led several international analysis firms to revise down their forecasts for Chinese LNG demand for the year. The Middle East supply disruption represents a major macroeconomic factor in understanding China's import mix. European purchases from Yamal LNG, another Russian gas project subject to Western sanctions, continued in the first half of the year.