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China head to open Turkmen link Turkmenistan-China gas link opens
(about 4 hours later)
China's efforts to get energy supplies take a significant step forward with the inauguration of a new pipeline to deliver gas from Turkmenistan. China's President Hu Jintao has opened a new pipeline that will deliver gas from Turkmenistan to his country.
The leaders of Turkmenistan and China will attend the commissioning ceremony, as will those of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. He was joined by the leaders of the Central Asian countries through whose territory the pipeline passes.
The pipeline also crosses their countries. Analysts say the pipeline marks a major advance of Beijing's influence in the region and a step forward in its drive for increased energy security.
A BBC correspondent in the region says the new pipeline breaks Russia's long-standing stranglehold on gas supplies. The new pipeline also breaks Russia's long-standing stranglehold on Turkmenistan's vast gas supplies.
The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie says the new connection will mark the beginning of a major diversification of Central Asia's huge energy reserves towards the East. "China is positive about our co-operation and the opening of this gas pipeline is another platform for collaboration and co-operation between our friendly nations," Mr Hu said.
Significant ceremony He turned a wheel to symbolise the opening of the 1,800km (1,100 miles) pipeline, which runs from a gas field being developed by the China National Petroleum Corporation through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Xinjiang in western China.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev unveiled the Kazakh section of a 7,000km (4,300 miles) natural gas pipeline joining Central Asia to China in Astana on Saturday. 'Political value'
They pressed a symbolic button to open the 1,833km (1,139 mile) section. The pipeline is expected to deliver 40bn cubic metres a year to China by the time it is running at full capacity in 2013.
The pipeline, which begins near a Turkmenistan gas field being developed by the China National Petroleum Corporation concludes in Xinjiang in western China. This is about half of China's current demand, says the BBC's Michael Bristow in Beijing.
It has an estimated capacity of 40bn cubic metres a year and will mean the central Asian countries are less dependent on Russia buying up their supplies. It will mean the central Asian countries - formerly part of the Soviet Union - are less dependent on Russia buying up their supplies.
This is Kazakhstan's first export route that does not go through Russia. This segment cost $6.7bn (£4.12bn) and was completed within two years. "This project has not only commercial or economic value. It is also political," Turkmenistan's President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov told President Hu on Sunday.
Most of the finance for the project came from the state-run China Development Bank. "China, through its wise and farsighted policy, has become one of the key guarantors of global security."
The whole pipeline is expected to be finished by 2013. Turkmenistan produces around 70bn cubic metres of gas annually - almost the same amount that had until recently been purchased by Russia, Turkmenistan's biggest client.
Turkmenistan produces around 70 billion cubic metres of gas annually - almost the same amount that had until recently been purchased by Russia, Turkmenistan's biggest client. Supplies stalled following an accident in April on the main pipeline to Russia. So far the two countries have failed to agree new terms, causing Turkmenistan to lose around $1bn a month.
Supplies stalled following an accident in April on the main pipeline to Russia. So far the two countries have failed to agree new terms, causing Turkmenistan to lose around $1 bn a month. The incident prompted President Berdymukhamedov to announce his country's interest in developing alternative supply routes.
Our correspondent says the incident prompted the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to announce his country's interest in developing alternative supply routes.
Turkmenistan is nearing the completion of another pipeline to Iran, and expressed an interest in supporting the EU-backed Nabucco project.Turkmenistan is nearing the completion of another pipeline to Iran, and expressed an interest in supporting the EU-backed Nabucco project.
President Hu and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev unveiled the Kazakh section of the pipeline in Astana on Saturday.
It is Kazakhstan's first export route that does not go through Russia.