Russia's policy of optimizing its economic structure will help to further economic and trade ties with China, a leading Russian expert said on Wednesday.

"Russia is determined to transfer its economic drive force from natural resources to innovation, which will increase its exports of high-tech products to China and tap cooperation potential in joint research and development," Andrey Ostrofsky, deputy director of the Institute of Far East Studies of the Russian Academy of Science, told Xinhua in an interview.

In 2007, the Russia-China trade volume increased by 44 percent year on year to hit 48 billion U.S. dollars, Russian official figures show.

"That indicates that Russian-Chinese economic and trade ties are booming and closing," he said.

On energy cooperation, Ostrofsky said the construction of the East Siberia-Pacific oil pipeline, the first of its kind extending to the East, will not only diversify Russia's energy exports and promote the economic progress of Russia's far east and Siberia, but also meet China's energy needs.

"The energy dialogue between Moscow and Beijing will help them to ensure energy security in the region," he said.

On Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, Ostrofsky said that it will bring a positive impact to Russian-Chinese economic ties by improving the transparency of Russia's market and related rules, abolishing tariff barriers and raising the competitiveness of Russian products.

Russia could even take China as "a window or bridge" to explore the Pacific-Asian and Southeast Asian markets, as well as in Central Asia where most countries have joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2008)