Russia Signs 30-Year Gas Deal With China: Let the Decline and Fall of American Global Hegemony Commence Posthaste

Jane Perlez reported yesterday from Beijing that  the China-Russia gas deal was stalled. This morning she reports that the deal is done, "China and Russia Reach Major 30-Year Gas Deal":

BEIJING — China and Russia agreed to a major 30-year natural gas deal on Wednesday that would send gas from Siberia by pipeline to China, according to the China National Petroleum Corporation. 

The announcement caps a decade-long negotiation and helps bring Russia and China closer than they have been in many years. The contract was driven to a conclusion by the presence of President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Shanghai for the last two days. 

The notice posted on China National Petroleum’s website said that beginning in 2018, Russia would supply 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year to China. China will build the pipeline within its own borders, while Russia will be responsible for the development of the fields and pipeline construction in its territory, the notice said.

This is an enormous blow to American unipolarism. Development will flow east. The BRICS will continue to surge. Europe will gradually decouple from the U.S. (For all these points, see the Pepe Escobar essay linked to in yesterday's post.)

Domestically, the United States is headed for a realignment. The Democratic Party is going to suffer a substantial defeat in November. The only question is if it is going to rise to the level of the 2010 midterm. The political system is headed for either collapse or renewal. The renewal would have to come from a third party renaissance or a complete overhaul of the duopoly by trustworthy, charismatic leadership.