Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (2nd R) meet during a bilateral meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, November 9, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Chen Yurong, a senior researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said the expanding megaprojects not only contribute to Russia's plan to diversify energy exports and boost development of the Far East, but also "resonate with China's increasing demand for energy security".

China is Russia's biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $89.2 billion last year.

Both sides have shown hope that the annual trade figure could reach $100 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020.

Gao Fei, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, estimated that as the neighbors expand the agenda for their strategic partnership, "closer teamwork on energy will lead to a leap forward in the short term, while the long-term breakthrough may be realized in the financial sectors".

Beijing and Moscow have offered substantial support to each other in the past year in the international political arena.

Chinese ambassador to Russia Li Hui defined the increasing political trust as "having achieved a new height" in an article published in late October in a Russian magazine.

Yang Cheng, deputy director of the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said, "Both sides have listed each other as the top priority of their diplomatic blueprint."

Behind the strong political trust is "the shared pursuit of major emerging economies seeking a greater capability to shape the international and regional orders," Yang said.

Contact the writers at wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn and zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn