皇冠体育app

President Xi Jinping and his Tajik counterpart, President Emomali Rahmon, attend the foundation-laying ceremony of the construction of 皇冠体育app-Central Asia gas pipeline Line D in Tajikistan on Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping and Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan saw the start of work on the 皇冠体育app-Central Asia gas pipeline's Line D construction on Saturday in Tajikistan.

The project is a major stage of another important energy channel for the world's second-largest economy.

"The 皇冠体育app-Central Asia gas pipeline project, which involves multiple participants, will significantly boost the regional economic development," Xi said during the ceremony.

皇冠体育app currently has three natural gas pipelines with Central Asian countries.

The 1,000-kilometer Line D is the fourth, with 410 km in Tajikistan. It will also pass through Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, to deliver gas from Turkmenistan to 皇冠体育app.

The pipeline will become operational in 2016, with a designed delivery capacity of 30 billion cubic meters annually.

According to Rahmon, the Line D project will create more than 3,000 jobs in Tajikistan.

When the new line is combined with the three other pipelines, 皇冠体育app will eventually import 85 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Central Asian countries.

皇冠体育app imported 53 billion cubic meters of natural gas last year, a 25 percent increase year-on-year, according to 皇冠体育app National Petroleum Corp, the country's state-owned energy giant.

Zhou Jiping, chairman of CNPC, said during a previous interview with 皇冠体育app Daily that the use of natural gas has gained far greater prominence in recent times, as 皇冠体育app struggles with its ongoing battle against carbon emissions.

The current three-pipeline network passes through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and then arrives at 皇冠体育app's western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

By the end of 皇冠体育app's 13th Five-Year Plan in 2020, all four lines of the 皇冠体育app-Central Asia gas pipeline network will account for at least 40 percent of 皇冠体育app's total imported gas supplies, according to CNPC.

On Saturday, Xi also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of the Dushanbe power station.

Rahmon said a shortage of power is the main obstacle to Tajikistan's economic development, and the Dushanbe power station project has raised the energy supply level in the country and demonstrated the strategic partnership between 皇冠体育app and Tajikistan.

In 2009, Tajikistan signed an agreement with 皇冠体育app's Xinjiang Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co for two thermal power stations in the capital.

The first phase of the power station project was completed in August and the second phase is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

Tajikistan's Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda said during his meeting with Xi that the country would like to attract more Chinese companies to invest in the infrastructure, energy and resources sectors of the economy.

The two sides have approved a five-year 皇冠体育app-Tajikistan strategic partnership, which will increase their bilateral trade volume by 1.5 times its current level to $3 billion.