<span style="color: #222222;">Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for a state visit to Russia and the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.<br />''<br />'' Xi will have talks in the Kremlin with President Vladimir Putin before attending a formal reception. <br />''<br />''The visit comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 led to a serious rift with its Western partners and subsequent turn toward its neighbour to the east. <br />''<br />''The three-day visit to Russia marks a new era of friendship and reinforce economic ties that had benefited from Moscow's isolation from the West.<br />''<br />''From Moscow, Xi will travel to Russia's former imperial capital Saint Petersburg to attend the Economic Forum hosted by Putin on Thursday and Friday.<br />''<br />''The partnership is yielding rising trade, which has increased by 25 percent in 2018 to hit a record 108 billion dollars. During an interview with Russian media ahead of the visit, Xi said that China is Russia's most important economic partner. He also said that both countries would also discuss their relationship with the great Western powers, including the United States.</span><br />