Chinese newspapers carried the following stories on Saturday. China.org.cn has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline to open mid Dec - CBN

Interfax-Kazakhstan reports that the Turkmenistan-China natural gas pipeline is scheduled to open on December 16 this year. It will be the first pipeline to deliver natural gas from Central Asia to China.

The pipeline passes through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Horgos in China's northwest province of Xinjiang. It is 1,818 kilometres long with an annual delivery capacity of 30 billion cubic metres, to be upgraded to 40 billion cubic metres. The project cost US$7.31 billion.

Sinohydro to build Ecuador's largest hydropower plant - CRI

Sinohydro Corporation has signed a contract with Ecuador to construct the US$2 billion Coca Codo Sinclair (CCS) hydropower project, the largest of its kind to be built in the South American country. At the contract signing ceremony, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Delgado said the signing was a 'historic moment' that would bring an end to the country's reliance on electricity imports.

The CCS Project is located in the Amazon region. On completion, it will provide 75 percent of Ecuador's power needs and the government plans to raise the contribution of hydropower to the country's energy needs from 40 percent to 95 percent within 6 to 8 years.

JAC may face government block on truck joint venture – NBD

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. (JAC) is in talks with construction and mining equipment manufacturer US Caterpillar, and truck maker Navistar International Corp. to establish a joint venture, according to a statement issued by JAC on September 28.

In the joint venture, JAC will contribute its present production facilitates, tech lab and distribution channels in exchange for a 50 percent stake with the US companies owning the rest. The joint venture is expected to start next month.

One potential roadblock is that the Chinese authorities have been cautious in approving joint ventures in which foreign capital accounts for 50 percent or more of the equity. The will seek reassurance that the US companies intend to provide their core technology to the joint venture and that JAC will not be reduced to the status of a contract manufacturer.