Under a $400bn contract signed earlier, Gazprom will supply 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China for 30 years, ITAR-TASS News Agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "The new gas branch will significantly strengthen the economic cooperation with countries in the Asia Pacific region and above all – our key partner China."
Interfax cited Putin as saying to Northeast Federal University students that: "Once we create a pipeline network here, in the Far East and Siberia, we will be able to connect the European part of the gas pipeline system to the Eastern one."
The pipeline project is estimated to cost more than $20bn, including other investment in the region of $7.5bn.
