New pipelines guarantee China's energy security

China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines nearing completion.

Chinese experts said the US$2.5 billion pipelines could considerably cut the cost of China's energy imports and overcome the country's dependence on the Strait of Malacca, which is controlled by the USA.

They said China's energy security will be further guaranteed by the exploration of the new import route through Myanmar, and energy importing channels will be further diversified.

With the Myanmar pipelines, oil and natural gas from the Middle East and Africa will be transported by way of the Indian Ocean and the pipelines to China without detouring through the Strait of Malacca.

The 800 kilometer China-Myanmar natural gas pipeline is expected to undergo test runs soon, and the oil pipeline will be completed in two to three months.

The Myanmar pipelines are the fourth biggest channel of China's energy imports after the Central Asian pipelines, China-Russia pipelines and the maritime lanes.

It will satisfy a quarter of China's annual natural gas demand and also bring about US$1.5 billion foreign exchange earnings to Myanmar annually.