Kazak-Chinese talks on natural gas link

China and Kazakhstan are reportedly considering building a 12 billion cubic meter capacity natural gas trunk pipeline linking up with the West-East pipeline in western Xinjiang Autonomous Region, state media reported. Assuming the trunk is built, Kazak gas would travel 4,000km to reach the West-East line's Shanghai terminal. Both Chinese and Kazak governments agreed to proceed with Phase II of a planned US$3 billion 3,000km oil pipeline with capacity to transport 20 million tonnes of crude oil into China. Sources did not disclose the projected cost of the proposed natural gas project. State media said it was conceivable that the link could be extended to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with further links to Russia and Iran, creating what one report called �a pan-Asian global energy bridge.�