6. World's longest natural gas pipeline

A new “Silk Road” linking China and Central Asia was opened on December 14: a 1,833-km natural gas pipeline, that starts in Turkmenistan, and winds its way through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China's Xinjiang region. It is the world’s longest natural gas pipeline ever constructed.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his counterparts from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jointly opened the pipeline at a ceremony in Turkmenistan. Hu said the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline is a model of solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation among the four countries.

Once it reaches full capacity between 2012 and 2013, it will be able to deliver 40 billion cubic meters of gas each year. That is more than half of China's current annual gas consumption.

6、世界最長的天然氣管道

連接中國和中亞的一條新“絲綢之路”于去年12月14日正式開通。這條“絲綢之路”其實是一條長達1833公里的天然氣管道，它始于土庫曼斯坦，途經烏茲別克斯坦和哈薩克斯坦，一直延伸到中國的新疆維吾爾自治區，是迄今為止世界上建造的最長的天然氣管道。

胡錦濤主席和中亞三國首腦在土庫曼斯坦共同開啟了這條通道。胡主席說，這條連接中國和中亞的天然氣管道是四國團結互利關系的一個典范。

這條管道預計在2012年至2013年間達到最大通氣能力，年輸氣量將達400億立方米，超過中國目前年天然氣消耗量的一半。