China to consider joining IPI pipeline

Beijing—China Tuesday said it will “study” suggestions made by Pakistan and Iran on including it in the IPI gas pipeline project with India, which was inked after overcoming hurdles dogging the USD 7.5 billion deal.
“Competent authorities will study the cooperation projects you mentioned,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said in reply to a query about a suggestion by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for including China in Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project.
Pakistan and Iran signed the IPI project in Islamabad yesterday after talks between Ahmadinejad and his counterpart Pervez Musharraf, who also recently strongly pitched for Beijing’s inclusion during his visit to China recently.
Ahmadinejad was quoted as having said: “... My government will also welcome the inclusion of China in the project”.
“Pakistan is very much in favour of the pipeline between the Gulf and China through Pakistan,” Musharraf said in his speech at China’s prestigious Tsinghua University a fortnight ago.
“India and Pakistan are trying for the gas pipeline between Iran, Pakistan and India. We call it IPI pipeline. Why can not it be IPC pipeline also,” he had said.

— Agencies