China and Russia should adjust their trade structure and boost two-way trade, a senior Chinese trade official said on Tuesday.

"Trade between China and Russia hit a new high last year according to Chinese statistics," Yu Guangzhou, Vice Minister of Commerce, told a news conference in Moscow.

The trade volume totaled 33.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2006, up 15 percent from the previous year, Yu said.

"Russia has become the eighth largest trading partner for China and China the fourth largest trading partner for Russia," he said, adding the two countries have seen increasing mutual investment and growing border trade.

The vice minister urged optimizing the trade structure between China and Russia and expressed hope that both sides step up cooperation in the high-tech sector and in resources and energy processing.

Yu offered China's support for Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The trade environment in Russia will be improved and the market will be further opened after the country joins the WTO, which will help create better conditions for boosting economic and trade ties between China and Russia, he said.

Russia, the largest economy still outside the Geneva-based world trade body, has been negotiating for membership since 1993. It signed a bilateral agreement with China in 2004.

Russia signed a key deal with the United States in November, clearing the last major hurdle to Moscow's longtime bid. Russian officials expect the country to join the WTO this year.