ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Trade volume between Russia and China increased by 19.7% year-on-year in January-April, Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

He noted that under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, "the comprehensive partnership between the two countries is developing steadily and demonstrating stable momentum."

"Trade volume reached $85.2 billion in January-April. This is a 19.7% increase compared to the same period last year," Zhang Hanhui said during the Russia-China session.

In this regard, the ambassador specified that Moscow and Beijing are hard at work implementing the updated investment protection agreement between Russia and China, promoting a policy of preferential business conduct between our enterprises, optimizing personnel exchanges, and enhancing contacts between representatives of the business community.

SPIEF is taking place on June 3-6. This year's main theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." The forum's program focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the forum, with TASS serving as its general information partner.