Xi, Putin push forward west route pipeline

President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, talk on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, called for an early start to work on the China-Russia west route natural gas pipeline as they met for the fourth time this year on Thursday.  [Special coverage]

Both countries should continue boosting major projects, especially the west route natural gas pipeline, to take their cooperation in energy to a higher level, Xi told Putin at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Calling the west route project a mutually beneficial one, Putin said that he attached great importance to it and that construction should be speeded up.

Putin also called for both countries to strengthen cooperation in various fields including oil and natural gas, aviation, nuclear energy, financing and infrastructure.

The meeting between the two came two weeks after both countries began construction of a joint natural gas pipeline in Russia's eastern Siberia.

Earlier this month, Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli and Putin jointly witnessed the welding of the first section of pipes on the Russian part of the China-Russia east route natural gas pipeline.

The construction followed a historic gas deal, signed in the presence of Xi and Putin in May, that will provide China with 4 trillion cubic meters of the natural gas it needs for economic growth over the next 30 years.

In 2013, China imported 24.35 million metric tons of crude oil, 27.28 million tons of coal and 3.5 billion kWh of power from Russia.

Observers said the latest call from the two presidents is expected to accelerate the start of the new natural gas pipeline.

Feng Yujun, director of the Russian Studies Division at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the meetings between the two leaders have "obviously and directly" accelerated their cooperation and coordination on global affairs.

Presidential diplomacy with Putin has become a hallmark of Sino-Russian ties since Xi took office last year, Feng said.

In March 2013, Xi chose Russia as the first stop of his first visit abroad as head of state.

Chinese Ambassador Li Hui said Xi has invited Putin to Beijing to attend the APEC economic leaders' meeting in November.

Li also said both sides are working hard to realize the $200 billion target for bilateral trade as soon as possible.

China is Russia's biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $89.2 billion last year. They hope to reach the $200 billion goal by 2020.