Hu Meets with Putin

Chinese President Hu Jintao met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia during the G8 summit. The primary topic of that meeting seems to have been the possibility of China buying more oil and gas from Russia and the two countries cooperating on the development of energy resources and infrastructure. This makes sense, given that China has growing needs for energy sources and Russia is one of the world's most important sources of energy. The pursuit of energy and control over energy sources has long been an important factor in geopolitical strategies. It is likely that the competition between the United States, Europe, and China will only intensify over time.