BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. China reaffirms
its commitment to strengthening traditional friendship and mutually
beneficial cooperation with Turkmenistan in birthday greetings to
President Berdimuhamedov.
This was reflected in a letter sent by Chinese President Xi
Jinping to President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the
occasion of his birthday, according to a press release published by
the press service of the Turkmen government today.
Xi recalled his recent meeting with Berdimuhamedov in Beijing,
held during the Turkmen president’s visit to China to attend the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin and
celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the
Chinese people in the Second World War.
The Chinese president said the two leaders exchanged views on
further strengthening traditional friendship and mutually
beneficial cooperation between China and Turkmenistan across
various fields.
“I attach great importance to the development of
China-Turkmenistan relations and am ready to make joint efforts to
promote the building of a ‘China-Turkmenistan Community of Shared
Future’ for the benefit of the peoples of both countries,” Xi
said.
The letter also included Xi Jinping’s wishes for President
Berdimuhamedov’s good health and success in his work.
For reference, China-Turkmenistan economic relations are
centered on energy cooperation, with natural gas serving as a key
pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership. China became the
main market for Turkmen gas following the launch of the
Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline in 2009. The pipeline system
currently comprises three operating lines, A, B and C, with
combined capacity of around 40 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year.
Turkmenistan has supplied China with more than 460 bcm of natural
gas since the start of exports, according to Turkmen government
data. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has been a key
partner in the development of Turkmenistan’s gas resources and
related infrastructure.
The latest major step in the partnership came on April 17, 2026,
when Turkmenistan and China launched the fourth phase of
development of the Galkynysh gas field in Mary region. Under the
project, CNPC is constructing facilities to process 10 bcm of
commercial gas annually, along with production wells and associated
infrastructure. The project covers the full production chain,
including gas gathering, treatment and processing facilities and
pipelines. The fourth phase is expected to strengthen
Turkmenistan’s production and export capacity, while further
deepening CNPC’s role in the country’s gas sector. The launch
followed the signing of the project agreement on April 16 during
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang’s visit to Turkmenistan.
