by Xinhua writers Yu Maofeng, Zhao Jialin

    MOSCOW, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The construction of the China-Russia oil pipeline conforms with the strategic goals of China and Russia to diversify the former's energy imports and latter's energy exports, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang has said.

    The move reflects the two countries' confidence and determination to tide over together the current global economic downturn, Liu said in a recent written interview with Xinhua on Sunday.

    The signing of a package of oil cooperation deals between China and Russia as well as the start of the oil pipeline project marked a major breakthrough in their energy cooperation, represented a new height of China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation and further substantiate this partnership, Liu said.

    Trade of crude via the pipeline will help stabilize and enhance the growth in bilateral trade, the diplomat added.

    Under the agreement reached between both countries, China and Russia will jointly build and operate the pipeline from Russia's Siberian city of Skovorodino to China's northeastern city of Daqing as its terminal via China's border city of Mohe.

    The construction of the Russian part of the pipeline started on April 27, and the Chinese part will be launched in mid-May. The pipeline, with an annual capacity of 15 million tons of crude to China within 20 years, is expected to go into operation in October2010.

    The two sides will study the feasibility of increasing its delivery capacity after the pipeline is put into production, Liu said. The project will ensure stable and secure oil supplies to China, open a stable and sound market for Russian oil, and boost the cooperation between enterprises of the two countries in oil exploration and refining, Liu said.

    Such a cooperation mode may well serve as a good example for the two sides to further broaden and deepen their all-round, long-term and stable energy cooperation in natural gas, nuclear energy and electric power, Liu said.