CHINA and Indonesia signed a contract worth US$8.5 billion for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Indonesia’s LNG Tangguh plant in Papua Province to China’s Fujian Province yesterday.

　　The contract was signed by the Indonesian State oil and gas firm Pertamina and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in one of the positive results of the First Indonesia-China Energy Forum which took place Wednesday.

　　Under the 25-year contract, Indonesia will supply up to 2.6 million tons of LNG per year starting in 2007.

　　The Indonesian delegation led by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and the Chinese delegation led by Chairman of the State Development Planning Commission, Zeng Peiyan, reported the fruitful forum to Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the presidential palace later yesterday.

　　Purnomo later told reporters that the Indonesian Government was pleased about incoming investment from China, saying that the Fujian contract would significantly help recover the Indonesian economy and enhance prosperity of the people in the easternmost province of Papua.

　　(Xinhua)