A new, high-tech natural gas pipeline connecting China and Russia has started operation on Monday, according to the China Oil and Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina).

The pipeline, with a capacity of 38 billion cubic meters per year, took nearly a decade to construct and stretches over 5,000 kilometers from northern China to the east coast. It is hailed by domestic media as the country's first "world-level" pipeline.

It starts from Heihe, a city in northeastern Heilongjiang Province bordering Russia, to Shanghai metropolis, stretching through nine province-level regions.

"The launch of the pipeline significantly enhances gas supply reliability and flexibility in eastern China," said Li Bo, a representative from PipeChina's construction project management branch. "It will ensure sufficient gas supplies for the peak demand periods expanding from this winter to next spring "

In addition to scale, the pipeline also features advanced technology for automation, with robots patrolling the key sections. This is the first pipeline in China equipped with explosion-proof rail-mounted inspection robots.

"The robot is equipped with cameras and infrared imaging devices. It operates autonomously or via remote control, performing pre-programmed inspection and data collection tasks in the tunnel," said Qian Haocheng, a staff member from PipeChina's west-to-east gas transmission branch. "It can continuously inspect the tunnel, significantly reducing the frequency and duration of manual inspections."

The software and hardware used in the pipeline were all built with domestic technologies.