Raisi arrived at Beijing International Airport Tuesday morning local time and was welcomed by China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping.
The Iranian president leads a high-ranking economic and political delegation in his trip to China.
He is expected to be officially welcomed by Xi within the next few hours.
This is a first state visit by a president of the Islamic Republic of Iran to China in 20 years.
During his stay, Raisi will meet Xi while delegations from the two countries will hold discussions to prepare for signing cooperation documents.
The Iranian president will also attend a joint meeting of the Iranian and Chinese businessmen in Beijing.
Meeting Iranians living in China will also be on President Raisi’s agenda during the trip.
China is one of Iran’s main trading partners. The country has been the largest buyer of Iranian export shipments in the 10 months to January with some $12.6 worth of purchases, according to Iranian government figures.
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