Xi arrives in India for informal meeting with Modi

At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday afternoon for the second informal meeting with Modi.

Banwarilal Purohit, governor of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and the state's Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami wait beside the gangway and present flowers to Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival in Chennai, India, Oct. 11, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Xi's flight arrived at Chennai International Airport at around 2:10 p.m. local time (0840 GMT). Banwarilal Purohit, governor of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and the state's Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami waited beside the gangway and presented flowers to Xi.

Local people dressed in folk costumes sang and danced to welcome the Chinese president and the delegation.

As Xi's motorcade departed for the city area, many local students and residents lined up in the streets, waving the Chinese and Indian national flags, holding pictures of Xi and Modi, and chanting "China-India friendship" to express their warm welcome to the Chinese leader.

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to local people upon his arrival in Chennai, India, Oct. 11, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

The first informal meeting between the two leaders took place in China's central city of Wuhan in April last year.

Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is a major cultural, economic and educational center of south India.

Xi will also pay a state visit to Nepal after his trip to India.