China, Russia start construction of gas pipeline

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Construction of the China- Russia East Route natural gas pipeline started in this eastern Siberia city as visiting Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed the welding of the first roll of steel pipes Monday evening.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a start-of-construction ceremony of the Russian part of the China-Russia East Route natural gas pipeline in Yakutsk, capital city of Saha-Yakutia republic, Russia, Sept. 1, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Live video signals from gas fields beamed in on huge screens in a spacious make-shift shelter as music played through loudspeakers. Some 500 people from China and Russia gathered on the Us-Khatyn field on the outskirts of Yakutsk city for the ceremony.

Zhang and Putin ascended the podium and gave their speeches to the crowd. The ceremony was broadcast live throughout Russia.

Zhang said the East Route of China-Russia natural gas pipeline is the second major on-land energy transport passage between China and Russia. It is a new, important tie of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and a great fruit of the new- era development of China-Russia relations.

The construction and operation of this pipeline, said the Chinese vice premier, will provide secure and reliable clean energy for China's economic development and a long-term stable market for the rich natural gas resources in Russia. The pipeline is also of great significance for the rejuvenation of the traditional industrial base in northeast China and Russia's development of the Far East.

China is ready to work with Russia to implement this project of great strategic significance in a comprehensive way so as to bring the benefits to the peoples of the two countries and generations to come, Zhang added.

Putin thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his personal effort to advance the China-Russia gas pipeline project and said the pipeline is the largest construction project in the world. Russia will cooperate closely with the Chinese side to ensure the construction of the project on schedule. Putin said Russia-China cooperation is at a very high level, and Russia is ready to continuously expand cooperation with China in energy and other areas.

According to a contract signed by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Russia's Gazprom, the Russian side will export 38 billion cubic meters of gas to China every year for a 30- year period starting from 2018. The Russian part of the joint venture pipeline, officially dubbed "Power of Siberia", will be built by Gazprom with a total investment of 55 billion U.S. dollars.

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