MOSCOW, March 20 -- At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on Monday afternoon for a state visit to Russia through Wednesday.

A grand welcoming ceremony was held upon Xi's arrival.

In a written statement, Xi said that he looks forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with Putin on bilateral ties and major international and regional issues of shared interest, to draw a blueprint for China-Russia strategic coordination and practical cooperation in the new era.

Xi said that he is confident that the visit will produce fruitful results, and inject fresh impetus into the sound and steady growth of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

Noting that China and Russia are friendly neighbors connected by shared mountains and rivers, Xi said that 10 years ago, he paid his first state visit to Russia as Chinese president, and together with Putin, opened a new chapter in the all-round development of China-Russia relations.

Over the past decade, the two countries have consolidated and grown the bilateral relationship on the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party, and set a fine example for developing a new model of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi said, adding that both countries have deepened political mutual trust, expanded practical cooperation, maintained close and effective international collaboration, and forged a longstanding friendship between their peoples.

The growth of China-Russia relations has not only brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries, but also made important contributions to the development and progress of the world, noted the Chinese president.

Both being major countries in the world and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia play important roles in international affairs, he said.

In a world of volatility and transformation, China will continue to work with Russia to safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said.

China will work with Russia to uphold true multilateralism, promote a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, and help make global governance more just and equitable, he added.

In a signed article published Monday on Russia's newspaper Russian Gazette and the website of RIA Novosti news agency ahead of his state visit to Russia, Xi described the trip as "a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace," and noted that "both countries uphold an independent foreign policy and see our relationship as a high priority in our diplomacy."

"China and Russia have found a right path of state-to-state interactions. This is essential for the relationship to stand the test of changing international circumstances, a lesson borne out by both history and reality," Xi said in the article.