BEIJING, February 12 (RIA Novosti) - Trade between Russia and China increased 18% year-on-year in 2008 to $56.8 billion, Russia's trade envoy to China said on Thursday.

However, bilateral trade was down 42% year-on-year in January, with Russian exports falling 59% and imports from China declining 27%, Sergei Tsyplakov said, citing the ongoing global financial crisis as the cause for the decrease.

"This is a very alarming trend. In the past ten years, there has not been a single case showing declines both in exports and imports," the trade representative said.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, Russian exports to China declined by 17%, Tsyplakov said.

The Russian trade representative said the main task for 2009 in bilateral trade was to maintain last year's trade levels.