Russia is main supplier of strategic goods to China

For China, Russia is a supplier of a number of strategic products, Russia's Trade Representative in China Sergei Tsyplakov said.

He stressed that the two countries' economic relations became the material basis of strategic partnership and co-operation between Russia and China.

According to Tsyplakov, although the specific weight of Russia on China's market only makes up 2%, but it is higher on a number of key positions.

Tsyplakov stressed that Russia had become supplier of crucial goods for China. In 2002, the supplies of Russian timber covered 61% of China's needs. The supplies of paper and cellulose covered 17%, of ferrous metals - 19%, of fertilisers - 42%, 57% of fish and sea products, of crude oil - 4.4% of that country's needs (while oil is so far transported to China by railways only).

According to the trade representative, "we do not regard last year's $12 billion as the limit of our co-operation." However, it is crucial that co-operation in the economic sphere and its various elements should be balanced.

Therefore, "the principal mission of the Russian Trade Mission to China is increasing the supplies of civil purpose machines and equipment," Tsyplakov said.