Xi arrives in Thailand for APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting

BANGKOK -- President Xi Jinping arrived here Thursday to attend the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting and visit Thailand.

When the plane carrying President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, they were warmly greeted by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Minister of Culture Itthiphol Khunpluem and their spouses.

Honor guards flanked the red carpet. Local youngsters dressed in flamboyant traditional Thai costumes pressed their palms together and performed the Thai greeting. Representatives of overseas Chinese in Thailand waved Chinese and Thai national flags to express their warmest welcome to President Xi and Madame Peng.

On the way to the hotel where President Xi will stay, his convoy passed by a giant LED screen in the color of "Chinese red" showing "Warm welcome to His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, and his wife, Professor Peng Liyuan" and "China and Thailand are a family" in both Chinese and Thai languages. Everywhere the convoy went, it was greeted with warmth and friendliness.

Overseas Chinese and Chinese students in Thailand gathered on the roadsides. They held up red banners saying "Welcome to Thailand, President Xi!" and "Warm welcome to President Xi from overseas Chinese in Thailand" and chanted "Hello, President Xi" and "Welcome to Thailand, President Xi" to express warm welcome and heartfelt joy for his visit.

Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and other officials accompanying President Xi arrived on the same plane.

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who arrived earlier, and China's Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang also came to the airport to greet the arrival.

President Xi arrived in Bangkok after attending the 17th G20 Summit. When he left Bali, Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and other Indonesian officials saw him off at the airport. A warm and cordial farewell ceremony was held at the airport. On President Xi's way to the airport, locals bid farewell to him on the roadsides.