During the ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev were informed by representatives of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and representatives of Russian oil pipeline giant Transneft of the completion of the project via a live audiovisual broadcast.

The Russia – China oil pipeline runs from Skovorodino in Russia’s Far East to China's northeastern city of Daqing.

The pipeline forms part of the East Siberia Oil (ESO) Pipeline, which is being constructed in two stages.

In January 2010, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin opened the first stage of the ESO pipeline at a ceremony held at the port of Kozmino on Russia’s Pacific Coast.

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The first stage of the pipeline runs 2,757 km from Taishet, Irskutsk Region, via Yakutia to Skovorodino in the Amur Region. A 1,100 km section of the first stage was brought online in October 2008.

The second stage of the ESO will run 2,100 km from Skovoridino to the Pacific coast. Currently the oil is transported by rail from Skovoridino to the port of Kizmino on the Pacific coast.

Upon completion of the second stage, the ESO pipeline will traverse 4,857 km.