Economic cooperation takes lead in Sino-Russian relations

BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's recent visit to China will inject further momentum into the booming economic ties between the two nations, experts said.

Sino-Russian economic ties are expected to further develop as a result of the agreements signed during Putin's latest visit to Beijing on Oct 11 and 12, where he co-chaired the 16th regular meeting between the two countries' prime ministers with Premier Wen Jiabao, experts said.

"China was the first country to be visited by Putin since he announced his plan to run for the Russian presidency in 2012, which shows the great importance he attaches to China-Russia relations," Tian Chunsheng, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said during an online seminar attended by experts from Beijing and Moscow on Wednesday.