China's Xi makes first Russia visit

China’s new leader Xi Jinping arrived on Friday in Moscow on his first foreign trip as president, to cement ties between the two countries by inking a raft of energy and investment accords.

A key deal expected to be signed between Xi and his counterpart Vladimir Putin will see Russia ramp up oil supplies to China, which is the world’s biggest energy consumer.

The Chinese leader, who arrived for a three-day visit, chose Russia for his first trip abroad after China this month completed a power handover which will see Xi preside over the world’s second-largest economy for the next decade.

Xi’s trip will then take him to Africa to shore up his resource-hungry country’s soaring influence on the continent with visits to Tanzania, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Moscow Xi highlighted the importance of his country’s relationship with Russia, which is rooted in shared communist ideology. “China and Russia are the main and most important strategic partners,” Xi told the media.