Construction on the China section of a China-Russia oil pipeline began Monday at Xing'an Town in the border county of Mohe, northeastern Heilongjiang Province.

Vice Premier Wang Qishan attended the ceremony marking the start of the project.

The construction of the Russian section of the pipeline started on April 27. The pipeline is expected to put into operation by the end of 2010.

The 1,030 kilometer-long pipeline would run from Skovorodino, Russia to China's northeastern city of Daqing as its terminal via China's border county of Mohe.

The pipeline is expected to transport 15 million tonnes of crude oil annually from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030.

Liao Yongyuan, vice president of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the country's leading oil producer, said the construction of the Sino-Russian oil pipeline played an important role in diversifying China's oil import channels and safeguarding the country's energy safety.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2009)