(Yicai Global) March 30 -- An engineering construction subsidiary of China's state-backed energy giant China National Petroleum Corp. has struck a cooperation deal with Dutch petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc, whereby the unit will become the first Chinese company in RDS' global supply chain.

China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corp. (CPECC) formed the agreement with RDSon March 19, CNPC announced on its website today. The two are keen to cultivate Chinese suppliers and will help quality ones go global by applying their technologies, devices and services in RDS-invested projects and engineering worldwide, RDS said.

As two major comprehensive energy companies, CNPC and RDS have collaborated in many countries across various fields and operated 14 key cooperative projects at home and abroad, including the Changqing Oilfield in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, Australia's Arrow Energy Ltd., and Kazakhstan's Kashagan Oilfield.

This agreement will not only open a new chapter in the cooperation between CPECC and RDS but  also improve CNPC's international design and project management capability, CNPC said. By preparing CNPC for its integration into the global comprehensive energy management system, the collaboration will pave the way for its further international expansion.