China and Russia should expand offshore crude oil trading and further cooperate in upstream exploration in the future, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli said on Friday in Beijing during his meeting with Igor Sechin, president of Russian oil giant Rosneft.

Zhang said Premier Li Keqiang's successful visit to Moscow in mid-October prepared the way for coming discussions on the energy sector between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

Zhang said Russia and China should explore new cooperation projects and accelerate a joint-venture refinery project in Tianjin.