On June 29, Zhang Gaoli, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, and the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev jointly attended the opening ceremony of the China-Russia East-East Gas Pipeline in China through a video link and delivered a speech, marking the Sino-Russian East Line. The natural gas pipeline was started on the whole line.

Zhang Gaoli said that the Eastern Gas Project is the largest pragmatic cooperation project between China and Russia, which is conducive to promoting the diversification of energy strategies between the two countries and ensuring energy security in both countries, and promoting economic and social development along the two countries. In September last year, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang entrusted me to go to Russia on a special trip, and together with President Putin in Yakutsk attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the "Siberian Power" pipeline in the Russian side of the eastern gas. The construction of the pipeline in China's domestic section marks the beginning of the construction of the onshore energy channel linking China and Russia. China is willing to work with Russia to ensure that the pipeline is completed and put into operation in 2018.

Medvedev said that the Russian Middle East natural gas project is one of the largest energy cooperation projects in the world. It is a concentrated expression and outstanding achievements of Russia-China high-level strategic cooperation partnership, which is conducive to promoting economic and social development along the pipelines within the two sides and improving People's living standards. The Russian side is willing to further expand all-round pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields such as energy and promote the common development and prosperity of the two countries.

The Sino-Russian East-line natural gas pipeline starts from the Sino-Russian border of Heihe City in Heilongjiang Province and ends in Shanghai. It passes through Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai and other nine provinces and cities. The pipeline is 3,170 kilometers, and 1800 kilometers of existing pipelines are used in parallel, and an underground gas storage is built. The “Siberian Power” pipeline in the Russian section of the Sino-Russian East Line Natural Gas Pipeline was started on September 1, 2014.

The Sino-Russian East Line natural gas pipeline is the longest-distance natural gas pipeline with the largest diameter and the highest pressure in China. It will definitely promote the development of basic industries such as iron and steel smelting, pipe making and equipment manufacturing in China. In order to build the Sino-Russian East Line natural gas pipeline, PetroChina has organized a series of technical studies on 1422 mm X80 natural gas pipeline pipe manufacturing, pipeline fracture control, pipeline engineering design and construction, and equipment, forming 1422 mm X80 pipe manufacturing and pipeline engineering. 13 technical standards, including design and construction, technical conditions for valve fittings, and 8 national patents.

On May 21, 2014, under the joint witness of the heads of state of China and Russia, PetroChina and Gazprom signed the “Sino-Russian East Line Natural Gas Purchase and Sale Contract” with a contract period of 30 years. The two sides agreed that in 2018 Russia will supply gas to China through the Sino-Russian East Line, and the gas supply will increase year by year, eventually reaching 38 billion cubic meters per year. In August 2014 and May 2015, with the approval of the Chinese and Russian governments, the purchase and sale contract came into effect.

It is reported that China and Russia began designing natural gas pipelines from east to west in 2006. At that time, the Russian gas company signed a memorandum of cooperation with PetroChina. According to the plan, two natural gas pipelines to China will be built. The West Line pipeline will transport natural gas from Western Siberia and enter Xinjiang, China. The Eastern Pipeline is transported to the northeastern region of China via the Russian Far East. The total gas transmission of these two pipelines is 68 billion cubic meters per year. The east line supplies 38 billion cubic meters of gas, and the west line supplies 30 billion cubic meters of gas.