ATASU, Kazakhstan, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The 960-km pipeline linking China and Kazakhstan began to carry oil to China on Thursday.

This undated photo shows workers welding the pipes at the construction site of the first phase of the Kazakh-Chinese oil pipeline project in the Republic of Kazakstan. Starting from Sep. 28, 2004, the first phase of the project was completed on Dec. 15, 2005. (Xinhua Photo)

    Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev pushed a button at the headquarters of the national KazMunaiGaz company in the capital, Astana to open the flow from the pipeline that starts in the central town of Atasu, 280 km south of Astana.

    The 700-million-US-dollar pipeline, with an initial annual capacity of 10 million tons and full capacity of 20 million tons, was built by a joint venture between China National Petroleum Corp. and KazMunaiGaz.

    The construction of the pipeline started in September 2004. Enditem