China imported a total of 4.227 billion cubic meters of pipeline gas in April 2021 (compared to 3.427 billion cubic meters a year earlier). Turkmenistan was the leader in this area, having supplied more than half of this amount to the Celestial Empire (2.576 billion cubic meters). It is followed by Kazakhstan (617 million cubic meters). The third was Russia (487 million cubic meters), Interfax writes on Sunday.

Interfax also cites data from the General Administration of Customs of the PRC that the price of Russian gas supplies to China in the second quarter of 2021 increased for the first time since the start of supplies, to become $148 per thousand cubic meters compared to $121 in the first quarter. At the same time, daily supplies of Russian gas to China have significantly decreased in relation to the rate in the first quarter.

Russia, among the pipeline gas suppliers, continues to supply gas to China at the lowest price. In April 2021, Turkmenistan received $216 per thousand cubic meters for its gas, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - $179 per thousand cubic meters, and Myanmar - $347.