Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a three-day visit to Moscow on Monday (March 20) as a show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since both Beijing and Moscow face serious challenges from the West, both sides are particularly keen to demonstrate to the world the close cooperation between China and Russia.

The highlight of Xi's visit to Moscow will be to sell Putin on Beijing's proposal for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine while showing support for Moscow. Experts believe that Beijing's proposal for peace talks is of particular importance to Xi Jinping.

"China itself is most interested in (the proposal for peace talks) because the current situation is very unfavorable for China. Its economic relations are damaged, including international trade, logistics and infrastructure construction. The pressure on China is very high," Moscow State University Professor Alexey Maslov said in an interview with Voice of America.

Both Beijing and Moscow have been talking in recent weeks about lifting the sanctions as a condition for peace in Ukraine, in a clear sign that the sanctions have hurt Moscow.

Experts believe that China, like Russia, hopes to get rid of the current situation where it is often subject to sanctions or the threat of sanctions.

"Both Russia and China are under the pressure of Western sanctions. Russia may be under more pressure than China, but this is also a problem for China," said Andrei Kortunov, director of the Russian International Affairs Council, a Russian think tank. (Andrey Kortunov)

The summit between Xi and Putin will also discuss the geopolitical rivalry between China and Russia against the West, as well as Beijing's possible support for Moscow. The United States believes that China may provide weapons to Russia, but Russian experts believe that this possibility is very small.

"I don't think Russia will make this type of request to China. I don't think there is any serious lack of weapons that cannot be supplemented by using Russia's domestic resources," Kortunov said.

Observers believe that Moscow's relationship with Beijing is not perfect, and the two countries also compete for influence in Central Asia. But despite this, dealing with a common enemy is clearly more important.

"There are also some problems between the two countries, including relations with Central Asia and the way to deal with the development of resources in the Far East. But because there are more important goals, both Russia and China have learned how to forget these unpleasant things," Moscow State University Professor Maslov said.

Xi's visit to Moscow will provide a glimpse of where those issues occupy in bilateral relations amid the isolation and economic devastation of both countries as a result of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine.