TASHKENT, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - Uzbekistan and China have established a joint venture to build a gas pipeline from the Central Asian state to its eastern neighbor, Uzbekistan's national oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz said Monday.

The joint venture, Asia Trans Gas, established by Uzbekneftegaz and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), will be responsible for the design, construction and operation of the Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline, a spokesman for Uzbekneftegaz said.

The route of the pipeline, intended to pump gas from energy-rich Uzbekistan to energy-hungry China, will be approved by April 20 while project funding will be determined by June 1, the spokesman said.

The first leg of the pipeline is expected to be built by December 31, 2009 and put into operation in January 2010. The second stage is planned for completion by December 31, 2011, the spokesman said.

Tenders for the delivery of equipment and contractual work for the pipeline construction are scheduled to be announced in April.