The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has proposed building gas pipelines in the Yellow Sea to transport Chinese petroleum gas to Korea.

An official at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing says CNPC President Jiang Jemin made the proposal during talks last month in Beijing with CEO of the Korea National Oil Corporation, Kang Young-won.

The official quoted Jiang as saying that it would be far more realistic and stable for South Korea to import gas from China given factors such as North Korea.

China said it can provide domestically produced petroleum gas or gas from Turkmenistan that comes through Kazakhstan.

If pipelines are built linking China and South Korea through the Yellow Sea, it could also allow for Korea's gas imports from Russia to come through China instead of North Korea.