Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow Friday for a visit to Russia where he will attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII.[Special coverage]
During his stay in Moscow, Xi will attend the Victory Day parade on the Red Square and lay flowers to the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers on Saturday.
China and Russia, as the main Asian and European battlefields in WWII, victorious nations in that war and founding members of the United Nations, made great contributions to the victory in WWII and post-war order.
In Moscow, Xi will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
He will also meet with Russian WWII veterans and representatives of Russian experts who once worked in China.
The two heads of state are expected to ink a joint statement on strengthening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
They will also discuss the docking of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with Russia's related idea for a trade and infrastructure network across Eurasia.
With China remaining Russia's largest trade partner for the fifth consecutive year in 2014 and Russia being China's ninth-largest trade partner, economic cooperation will be another important topic for discussion.
Xi's visit is expected to see the two countries sign a number of cooperative documents in areas including energy, aerospace, taxation, finance and investment.
"The two leaders will expound their propositions on maintaining the outcomes of WWII, promoting world peace and stability, abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international order with the UN at the core, so as to build a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation," said China's Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping at an earlier time.
China's guards of honor, consisting of 112 members, who are scheduled to take part in the Victory Day parade in Russia, have taken part in rehearsals for the parade after arriving in Moscow. It is the first time for China's soldiers participating in Moscow's Victory Day celebration.
Xi landed in Moscow after visiting Kazakhstan. After Russia, Xi will make a two-day visit to Belarus, the first by a Chinese president in 14 years.
