Preparations underway at Chennai airport to welcome Xi Jinping for 2nd informal summit

Preparations are being done at the Chennai airport ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival. The airport premises have been decorated with flowers, banana leaves and flags of both India and China to welcome him.

The Chinese President will visit Chennai from October 11-12 to participate in the second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The airport is being decked up traditionally with banana leaves, flower garlands, and fruits. Thousands of Police security personnel have stationed ahead of the Chinese President's arrival.

Flags of India and China have also been erected outside the airport. The cleaning process is being carried out around the airport zone.

The second informal summit will be held in Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu. The two leaders had their first inaugural informal summit in China's Wuhan from April 27 to 28 last year.

The forthcoming Chennai informal summit will provide an opportunity to the two leaders to continue their discussions on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance and to exchange views on deepening India-China Closer Development Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

In the Mamallapuram summit, the focus of the talks is likely to be on steps to ensure mutual development and expanding overall ties.