Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping launched on Monday the start of Russian gas supplies to China from Siberia pipeline, Reuters reported. 

"This is a genuinely historical event not only for the global energy market but above all for us, for Russia and China," said Putin, who watched the launch via video link from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"This step takes Russo-Chinese strategic cooperation in energy to a qualitative new level and brings us closer to (fulfilling) the task, set together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, of taking bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2024."

Xi told Putin that the newly launched gas pipeline is "a landmark project of bilateral energy cooperation," an "example of deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation."