MOSCOW — President Xi Jinping of China arrived in Moscow on Wednesday at the start of a high-profile three-day state visit that will include some panda diplomacy and underscore the strengthening Beijing-Moscow axis at a time when relations for both with Washington continue to fray.

The Kremlin released figures showing that trade between Russia and China grew almost 25 percent last year, reaching $108 billion — finally breaking the $100 billion milestone sought for years, even if partly based on higher oil prices.

After a day in Moscow, where Mr. Xi presented two pandas on loan to the Moscow Zoo, the Chinese president was scheduled to be the guest of honor at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia’s main annual event to attract international investors.

Russian officials pointed to the 1,000-strong delegation that Mr. Xi is bringing to the forum as a sign of healthy relations at a time when the United States is officially boycotting the event.