More than a transportation route, the pipeline has strengthened economic ties between neighboring Kazakhstan and China while providing an alternative export corridor at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty. The Atasu-Alashankou pipeline, the first phase of the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline system, marked a turning point for Kazakhstan’s energy sector. It transports crude from western Kazakhstan, the Aktobe Region and the Kumkol oil fields while also carrying Russian oil in transit to China. According to the KazMunayGas national oil and gas company, the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline has transported more than 200 million metric tons of crude oil since commercial operations began in 2006. As the world’s largest crude oil importer, China continues to diversify its supply sources and transportation routes to strengthen energy security.