SANYA (China), November 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said Tuesday that the Russian and Chinese economic ministries might soon sign a mid-term bilateral program to step up trade and economic cooperation in 2006-2010.

Zhukov, who is leading the Russian delegation to China, said the program envisioned an increase in Russian-Chinese trade to $60 billion-$80 billion by 2010.

A Russian-Chinese commission, established to prepare regular meetings between the two countries' prime ministers, signed protocol envisaging further coordination of the program by relative agencies.