Russia wants to supply all of China's gas needs

No dollar value was given to the agreements signed during a state visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, but they included documents on cooperation in coal, natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable energy.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told reporters in Beijing that Russia is in talks with Chinese partners on plans to launch natural gas supplies to China starting in 2015, according to the state ITAR-Tass news agency.

"Russia is ready to meet China's full demand in gas," Sechin was quoted as saying in the report.

Russian state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom said that under that agreement it will supply China with 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually for 30 years starting in late 2015. The final deal is expected to be signed next summer, Gazprom said.

Sechin said that if talks with China on gas supplies went well, Russia could sign commercial contracts by the middle of next year, ITAR-Tass said.

Russian news agency Interfax cited Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko as saying that "in my opinion, the main terms of (gas) supplies, apart from the price, have been agreed upon."

Russia is the world's biggest energy producer and China is the world's largest energy consumer, overtaking the United States last year.