Containers loaded with wheat imported from Russia head to the port city of Heihe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on October 20, 2021. Photo: VCG

Trade and economic cooperation between China and Russia reached $146.8 billion, exceeding the $140-billion mark for the first time in 2021, with exports to Russia growing steadily for six consecutive years, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs. 

China's exports to Russia reached $67.6 billion with a year-on-year increase of 33.8 percent, while its imports topped $79.3 billion worth of goods, up 37.5 percent compared with 2020. 

Russia continues to maintain its position as China's top source of energy imports which totaled 334.3 billion yuan ($52.5 billion) in 2021, an increase of 47.4 percent, accounting for 65.3 percent of China's total imports from the country. Among them, imports of crude oil reached 260.2 billion yuan ($41.1 billion), an increase of 35.6 percent while imports of coal topped 46.5 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) and natural gas 27.7 billion yuan ($4.3 billion). Imports of coal and natural gas from Russia went up 148.7 percent and 70.5 percent, respectively. 

China significantly increased its imports of some Russian agricultural products such as rapeseed oil and beef with a year-on-year increase of 56 and 210 percent, respectively. 

Meanwhile, China also consolidated its advantages to export electromechanical products to Russia. In 2021, China exported 268.5 billion yuan ($42.4 billion) worth of electromechanical goods to Russia, an increase of 32.5 percent compared with 2020, accounting for 61.5 percent of the total value of China exports to Russia in 2021.

Russian Ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, said on Tuesday that the rising prices of some key tradable commodities including oil and natural gas, which account for 30 percent of total exports, were the major drivers for growth.

"Russia will also further expand the supply of coal and power to China as its demand for natural gas from Russia continues to expand," the ambassador said.