Afghan President Hamid Karzai met with Jiang Ziemin, Chairman of the Board of Directors for China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). CNPC is keen to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline through Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Karzai recognized the importance of such a project for both countries and directed the Afghan Mining Ministry to prepare a comprehensive framework agreement for cooperation. The framework will be signed by both parties once the Cabinet of Afghanistan and the CNPC approve the text, which CNPC will help to draft in Kabul in June.

Ziemin also met with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan where he briefed the President on the progress in gas extraction in Turkmenistan and other projects. He also discussed the construction of the second gas processing plant which would be designed to provide additional volumes of gas for the Turkmenistan-China pipeline. This process is progressing according to the timeline in the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Turkmengaz and CNPC. The annual supply of Turkmen natural gas to China is set to reach 65 billion cubic meters.

On a visit to China, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov discussed Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline, which would allow for establishing a stable transit corridor for longer-term gas supplies to China. In the medium-term, a deal has been struck by the two sides to expand the capacities of gas transportation from Central Asia to China.