China's new president Xi Jinping, who assumed office as the country's new head last week, received a lavish reception - with guards on horsebacks welcoming him - upon his arrival in Moscow on Friday.

With Xi having decided to make Russia as his first foreign destination after taking over as the new Chinese president, it is quite evident that the ties between China and Russia - the two rivals of the Cold War era - have becoming extremely close; thanks largely to their energy needs as well as a shared ambition to curb US influence around the world, particularly in Asia.

In his comments after becoming the China's new president, Xi has sought Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for his keenness to curtail US influence and confront Japan over a set of disputed islands. Towards that end, Xi has urged Russia to improve its foreign policy coordination for protecting the joint security interests of China and Russia.

Before Xi and Putin sat down for talks, they greeted members of official delegations in the ornate St. George Hall. After the talks between the two leaders, the Russian and Chinese officials inked deals on deliveries of Russian oil and gas to China.

Meanwhile, with Xi's Moscow visit being in line with the tradition that the new leaders of China and Russia pay inaugural visits to each other, Putin said that the ties between the two countries were an "extremely important factor in global politics."