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.
