Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Russia next Monday to Wednesday (March 20-22), in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid heightened East-West tensions over the Ukraine war.

Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions between Putin and Xi. China has refused to condemn Moscow's aggression and has sought to appear neutral in the conflict, despite Beijing declaring an "uncapable" friendship with Russia last year.

China and Russia announced on Friday that Xi Jinping and Putin will hold an upcoming meeting.

China said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, while condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Russia to take military action.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba that Beijing was concerned that the year-long conflict could spiral out of control and urged Ukraine to negotiate a political solution with Moscow.

China "has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, is committed to promoting peace talks, and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks," Qin Gang said.

"I emphasized the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's) peace package to end the aggression in Ukraine and restore a just peace," Kuleba wrote. He spoke with US Secretary of State Blinken on the same day.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at his daily daily press conference on Friday that Xi "will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of mutual concern, and promote strategic and practical cooperation between the two countries. Injecting new impetus into the development of bilateral relations." "

Currently, the world is entering a new period of turmoil and change, and the major changes of the century are accelerating. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important major countries, the significance and influence of China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral field ,” he added.

Before Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia, a U.S. drone was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets over the Black Sea, causing the U.S. surveillance drone to crash into international waters. The closest thing to a direct conflict since.

The Kremlin also announced Xi's visit on Friday, saying it was "at the invitation of Vladimir Putin."

The Kremlin said in a statement that Xi and Putin would discuss "issues of further developing Russia-China comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction" and exchange views "in the context of deepening Russia-China international cooperation."

The two leaders will also sign "important bilateral documents," the statement said.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a two-person video conference at the end of December last year. Putin said the visit could "show the world the strength of Russia-China relations" and "become the main political event in bilateral relations this year".