BEIJING, April 26. /TASS/. In the current international situation Russia is of great importance to China as a political and economic partner, Andrey Ostrovsky, the chief researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Problems of the Far East, professor at the Moscow State Pedagogical University, told TASS on Wednesday.

"For China, Russia is very important. It is important in the political sense, as a major partner, given the turbulent situation in the Pacific. I am referring primarily to the Taiwan problem," he said at the online Russian-Chinese forum of scholars in Harbin on the exchange of views on a new stage of scientific cooperation between Russia and China. Ostrovsky said that given the agreements reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia and China "will stand side by side in the Pacific Region."

In economic terms, the issue of energy supplies plays a key role for Beijing, the expert explained.

"In order to maintain the GDP growth rate and ensure economic progress the country clearly lacks oil resources," Ostrovsky noted. "China can produce on its own only a fraction of the energy it needs, and it needs much more."

The expert recalled that Russia, Saudi Arabia and some other countries of the Arab world were the leading suppliers of oil to China. In his opinion, the US authorities can influence energy transportation by sea, but it is impossible for Washington to block overland traffic between Russia and China.

"Therefore, Russia is a very important partner for China in terms of trade and the economy," Ostrovsky stressed. He added that China "is also very important to Russia."

Among other promising areas of Russia-China cooperation the expert pointed to the scientific and technical sphere and investment. Moscow and Beijing should actively strengthen their respective bilateral ties, he believes.