President Xi Jinping reached Sochi in Russia on Thursday to attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games. By accepting the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the event, Xi has not only become the first Chinese head of state to attend a major sports event abroad, but also proved that China-Russia relations have been moving full steam ahead.

Xi's Feb 6-8 visit to Russia is his first foreign trip in the Year of the Horse. Incidentally, Russia was also the destination of his first overseas trip after taking office as China's president in March 2013.

The massive investment and careful preparation Moscow has made for the Sochi Winter Olympics will, no doubt, demonstrate Russia's vitality and openness under the leadership of Putin, and give full play to the Olympic spirit. But the run-up to the Sochi Games was marred by several developments.