BEIJING — China's trade with Russia expanded by 3.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on April 23.

Trade volume between the two countries stood at $25.35 billion in the period, Gao Feng, spokesperson with the ministry, told a news conference.

China's imports from Russia increased by 17.3 percent from a year earlier to $16.2 billion, the fastest growth among China's major trading partners.

Meanwhile, China's exports to Russia reached $9.15 billion in the first three months, down 14.6 percent year-on-year, according to Gao.

The impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic will be short-lived and the prospect of bilateral economic and trade cooperation remains promising, Gao said.