Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Sushma Swaraj

Chinese President Xi Jinping met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Thursday.

The External Affairs Minister welcomed the Chinese President by saying, "Ge xia, wo hen huanying nin dao yindu lai - I extend a very warm welcome to you in India."

Earlier in the day, Jinping, accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, visited Rajghat and paid homage at the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi where he laid a wreath along with floral tributes and was presented with a model of charkha or the spinning wheel.

The Chinese President, along with his wife, and a delegation of senior party functionaries and government officials, was also accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

India and China are scheduled to hold delegation-level talks here today with the objective of expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss important regional and international issues during the talks.

It is expected that the talks will be focused on boosting trade and investments, besides a discussion on substantive issues, including the unresolved boundary question.