China and Turkmenistan vowed here to build a long-term and stable strategic energy partnership. The pledge was made in a joint statement on enhancing bilateral ties signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on Wednesday. According to the statement, the two countries will work together to maintain the safety and stability of the natural gas pipeline that runs between them. China and Turkmenistan launched a natural gas pipeline in central Asia in December 2009. The 1,833-km pipe, starting at the border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and running through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region, had delivered 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China by the end of May this year. Read More