China–Turkmenistan relations

China–Turkmenistan relations

China	Turkmenistan

China–Turkmenistan relations are the bilateral relationship between China and Turkmenistan. China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan after it declared independence. On January 6, 1992, China signed communiqués on the establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan.

History

China is by far Turkmenistan's largest trading partner. In 2020, the China exports to Turkmenistan were valued at $445 US million and Turkmenistan exports to China were valued at $5.3 US billion. In 2022, China accounted for 65% of Turkmenistan's total trade.

In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Turkmenistan, signed a joint letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council defending China's persecution of Uyghurs. Turkmenistan was one of 16 countries that defended China in 2019 but did not do so in 2020.

Energy

Turkmenistan exports significant amounts of natural gas to China, with more than half of these exports going through the Central Asia–China gas pipeline. On 3 April 2006, China and Turkmenistan signed a framework agreement on a potential pipeline construction and long-term gas supply. In June 2007, during his visit to China, Turkmeni President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed an accord to speed up implementation of the Turkmeni-Chinese gas pipeline project. In July 2007, it was formally announced that Turkmenistan will join the original Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline project. The whole pipeline was inaugurated on 14 December 2009.

The pipeline project allowed Turkmenistan to significantly decrease its previous dependence on Russia; previously, nearly 70% of Turkmenistan's gas exports transited through Russian pipelines.