Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit side by side during the G20 Summit. (Photo : Getty Images)
In May 2015, President Putin declared on national television that relations between China and Russia are at an "unprecedented level."
However, Chinese and Russian trade fell by 5 percent year-on-year. There has been a shortage of $28 billion in the first half of 2016.
The U.S. remains the largest trade partner of China, which amounts to $263 billion at the first half of the year.
Gilbert Rozman, an expert on Asia at Princeton University, said, "Russia exaggerated the prospects for an alliance too soon."
Russia is trying to compensate for the loss of Western investments due to the Ukraine civil war. The former communist block wants to maximize Chinese trade.
Because of the Western sanction, Russian trade with the European Union fell from $377 billion to $235 billion last year.
Poor trade relations between Russia and the east is primarily caused by the weak Trans-Siberian Railroad, the only line between Russia and China.
Vasily Kashin, a China expert at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said, "It's a strategic problem, something you can't fix in a hurry."
Russian leaders are aware that the progress of their economic partnership is progressing slowly.
Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said, "Our political relationship is ahead of our economic ties."
China has been showing close political support to President Putin. During the G20 Summit held recently, Russia is an obvious Chinese favorite.
Alexander Gabuev, a senior associate and chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific program said, "Chinese protocol will treat Putin well in terms of a spot for the group photo of G20 leaders, etc."
"With China being the host this year, efforts will be made to show that Putin is an active player and that he is not isolated," Gabuev added.
