Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo from March 22 to 30.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang made the announcement in Beijing on Monday.

Xi is making the visit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, South African President Jacob Zuma and President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Xi will also attend the fifth leaders' summit of BRICS countries, to be held from March 26 to 27 in Durban, South Africa. BRICS is an economic bloc representing five of the world's leading emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Selecting Russia as the first foreign destination suggests that China-Russia relations remain the priority of China's diplomacy in Xi's era, analysts said.

The two leaders will discuss "key issues of bilateral cooperation" including energy and investments as well as the two-year crisis in Syria, the Kremlin said.

"The signing is expected of a number of important bilateral agreements aimed at developing further the strategic partnership between Russia and China," the Kremlin said without providing any details, AFP reported.

But Moscow and Beijing have still failed to finalize a potentially huge gas deal, which could eventually see almost 70 billion cubic meters of Russian gas pumped to China annually for the next 30 years, AFP said.

"China's diplomacy is to safeguard a peaceful neighboring environment," Shen said. "A good relationship with Russia fits all the needs of China's overall diplomacy," Shen Jiru, a researcher from the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times previously.

"China still positions itself as a developing country. Therefore, a steady and sound relationship with other developing countries in the world is the cornerstone of China's overall diplomacy," Shen said.

"At the same time, China's economic development potential lies in the cooperation with those emerging countries, such as the BRICS nations, given that the US and Europe are still mired in debt crises," Shen added.

After being elected as China's president on Thursday, Xi talked with Putin by phone, with both sides pledging to strengthen ties.

Global Times - Agencies