ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 21. The President
of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, will pay an official
visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of Turkmen President Serdar
Berdimuhamedov, Trend
reports via the press service of the Turkmen government.
The confirmation was detailed in a formal acceptance letter sent
by the Chinese leader in response to the invitation extended by the
Turkmen head of state.
In his letter, Xi Jinping highly praised President Serdar
Berdimuhamedov’s sustained efforts to develop China–Turkmenistan
relations, strengthen traditional ties of friendship, and expand
multi-sectoral strategic cooperation.
Since 2023, bilateral relations have held the status of a
comprehensive strategic partnership, with a strong focus on the
construction of the “China–Turkmenistan Community of Shared
Future.”
China remains Turkmenistan’s leading economic and energy
partner, with bilateral trade turnover reaching approximately $2.2
billion in the first quarter of 2026.
Meanwhile, natural gas constitutes the core of this strategic
partnership between countries. Turkmenistan exports between 30 and
40 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to China via the
Central Asia–China gas pipeline network (Lines A, B, and C),
accounting for roughly 90% of total Turkmen gas exports. This
cooperation reached a new milestone in April 2026 with the launch
of construction on the fourth phase of the giant Galkynysh gas
field, where China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) acts as
the general contractor. This expansion phase is expected to add up
to 10 billion cubic meters of commercial gas per year, in line with
long-term plans to increase supplies to Beijing to 65 billion cubic
meters in the future.
