Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for three-day visit, Ahmedabad rolls out red carpet

The Chinese President is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan.

He is the first important foreign dignitary to begin his India visit from Gujarat.

Prez Xi to meet @PMOIndia at Ahmedabad hotel shortly. Sneak Peek of venue. pic.twitter.com/yA82LCY0dd

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) September 17, 2014

On his arrival, Xi was accorded a police guard of honour. ALSO READ: ‘Inch towards Miles’ is Modi mantra as Xi arrives today  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was Gujarat chief minister, had visited China multiple times and built a relationship with the Communist Party leadership there. Highlighting the importance New Delhi is attaching to Xi’s visit, Modi has come here to receive the Chinese President. The city has been decked up by the administration to welcome the Chinese President here.

Prez Xi of China received by India’s Prime Minister @narendramodi in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/Etz3AxkuKk — Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) September 17, 2014

The visit, for which elaborate security arrangements have been made, will witness signing of three MoUs between China and Gujarat, Modi’s home state.

Tight security has been put in place for Xi’s visit. Gujarat Police with the help from Central security agencies have made necessary arrangements.

During his brief stop here, Xi along with Modi will attend a business meet, visit Sabarmati Ashram and riverfront, where a walk and dinner has been arranged for the President and the delegation accompanying him.

One of the MoUs, to be inked between China Development Bank (CDB) and Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb) of Gujarat government, relates to development of industrial parks in the state.

ALSO READ: On Modi website, a piece on Gujarat’s Buddhist link

Another pact will be signed between China’s Guangdong province and Gujarat government. The third MoU will be between Guangzhou and Ahmedabad cities for cultural exchange.

Top industrialists from both the countries will take part in the business meet.

The dinner, to be served in a dome on the Sabarmati Riverfront, will consist of only Gujarati delicacies and attended by 22 VVIPs, a government official said.

Xi, who arrived here in the afternoon, will leave for Delhi late in the evening.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar in morning and conveyed the best wishes of the President and top Chinese leadership to him on the occasion of his birthday.

Modi received the Chinese President and his wife at Hotel Hyatt in Ahmedabad. He greeted Xi and his wife and they later posed for photographers.

The Chinese leader and his wife were shown a gallery of photographs, specially set in the hotel, of Gujarat’s ancient monuments including heritage of Lord Buddha in Modi’s ancestral town Vadnagar.

Modi and Xi had a brief interaction at the hotel, details of which were immediately not available.