Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin launched a giant cross-border natural gas pipeline project on Monday, with both leaders touting the project as a symbol of friendship between the two powers.

The "Power of Siberia" project will see a gas pipeline stretching from the Chayandinskoye and Kovyktinskoye fields in Russia's east over more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) to Liaoning in northeastern China.

The project, which Putin has called "the world's biggest construction project," is set to last 30 years and pump $400 billion (€363 billion) into Russia's economy.

It should export 38 billion cubic meters of gas annually when fully operational in 2025, according to a statement released by the Kremlin.

Russian company Gazprom secured the contract in 2014 following an agreement between Russia and China.

The agreement came as Russia faced sanctions from the EU and US after it annexed the Crimean peninsula during the same year. It is part of Russia's plan to boost trade with countries like China and Turkey, as relations with the West continue to deteriorate.

The company is also building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is set to double Russian gas output across the Baltic to Europe.

Both China and Russia's leaders watched the event via video link

Pipeline as a symbol of friendship

Xi and Putin, who both attended the opening ceremony via video link, spoke of the project as a symbol of growing cooperation between the two nations.

"This step takes Russo-Chinese strategic cooperation in energy to a qualitative new level and brings us closer to fulfilling the task, set together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, of taking bilateral trade to $200 billion (€181 billion) by 2024," said Putin.

Putin added that it was "a genuinely historical event."

Xi told Putin via video link that "China-Russia relations are entering a new era" and that the pipeline was an "example of deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation."

When the pipeline hits full capacity it could make China the second-largest gas customer after Germany, which bought 58.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia in 2018.

China was the world's fifth largest importer of natural gas in 2016, according to CIA statistics.

War crimes in Ukraine? The war enters the cities Fighting between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army has intensified around the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. The situation for the local population keeps getting worse, the UN Human Rights Commission finds. It especially accuses the pro-Russian separatists of severe crimes.

War crimes in Ukraine? In mourning for father and son More than 1,100 people have been killed in the fighting since mid-April, according to the UN. Not just armed fighters, but also countless civilians, among them many children, have lost their lives. These people grieve for a father and his little son who died in artillery fire near Luhansk.

War crimes in Ukraine? Heavy weaponry in residential areas Civilians often get caught in the crossfire, according to the UN. Heavy weaponry is being employed in densely populated areas not just by the separatists, like here in Donetsk, but also by the Ukrainian army. The United Nations urge all sides to exercise better measures of precaution to protect civilians’ lives.

War crimes in Ukraine? Reign of terror by separatists The report accuses the pro-Russian separatists of abducting, torturing and executing people. The separatists are "rough and brutal" as well as "well-equipped and organized" and often under the command of Russian nationals, according to the UN Human Rights Commission. The UN body has 39 observers on the ground and has documented more than 800 cases of abductions by separatists since mid-April.

War crimes in Ukraine? Fleeing the East More than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes. Many live in emergency shelters, like here in Kharkiv, to escape the terror of the separatists and the fighting. There are also reports about Russian-speaking residents of eastern Ukraine who have fled to neighboring Russia.

War crimes in Ukraine? Shooting down MH17: a war crime On July 17, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crashed in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed. The passenger jet was most probably shot down by pro-Russian separatists. That could be interpreted as a war crime, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay.

War crimes in Ukraine? Justice in The Hague? Those responsible could face charges before the International Criminal Court. The UN Human Rights Commissioner warns: anybody violating international law will be brought to justice. That also applies to foreign fighters involved in the conflict. Author: Peter Hille



Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

kmm/ng (dpa, Reuters, AFP)