President Xi Jinping will attend Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. And for the first time a unit of the People's Liberation Army will take part in a parade in Russia.

Xi started his Eurasia tour on Thursday with a visit to Kazakhstan, from where he flies to Russia and then Belarus. His visit to Russia is seen by many as a huge political support to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been suffering the effects of Western economic sanctions and political maneuverings for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Leaders from more than 20 countries will also be present at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, driving home the point that non-Western economies now have a greater say in world affairs.