By Li Hongmei

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, will pay a visit to Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on March 22 through to 24.

The two leaders are due to take up trade and economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in the fields of energy and investment, technology and industrial cooperation, and also interregional and humanitarian cooperation. The two are expected to sign a package of documents to boost strategic partnership.

Some of the international problems on the agenda are a settlement in Syria, the situation around Iran and Afghanistan, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in particular, and in North East Asia, in general.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are due to attend the opening ceremony of China Tourism Year in Russia.

This is President Xi's first overseas trip as the Chinese President, which is considered by not a few observers as of great significance.

Following his Russia trip, President Xi is also expected to visit Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo and attend the fifth leaders' summit of BRICS countries, which will be held in Durban, South Africa, on March 26-27.