16-06-02 Chinese State Council member Wu Yi and the head of the China National Petroleum and Natural Gas Corporation, Ma Fucai, met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko on 15 June to discuss major cooperation projects between the two countries in the fuel and energy sector.

The talks also involved senior officials from the Russian gas holding Gazprom, the oil company Yukos, interested ministries and agencies. Khristenko said the focus was mainly on the implementation of the West-East gas project initiated by China, which envisages the participation of Gazprom and Shell.
He stressed that Russia and China were interested in the development of the Chinese gas sector. To this end, the two countries will set up a joint venture to develop the Chinese gas market. Prospects for cooperation in the gas sector "generated proposals on strategic partnership between Gazprom and the Chinese national oil and gas corporation".

The sides also discussed interaction in the oil sector. A feasibility study for a Russia-China oil pipeline should be finished in July. The 2,400 km-long pipeline will cost about $ 2 bn. The results of this work will be discussed at a meeting of the bilateral subcommission on energy at the end of July. The sides also touched upon the steadiness of Russian oil supplies to China through railway border checkpoints.