PM Modi and President Xi walk along Sabarmati riverfront
Ahmedabad: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the national capital Wednesday night after a grand welcome in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.The aircraft carrying Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan touched down at the Air Force Station
Ahmedabad: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the national capital Wednesday night after a grand welcome in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
The aircraft carrying Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan touched down at the Air Force Station in Palam after 10 pm.
China's first couple were received by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived here at 10.35 p.m.
Earlier, Xi and his wife reached Ahmedabad Wednesday afternoon to begin a three-day India sojourn. He spent around six hours in Ahmedabad
Here we are giving you live updates of Chinese President's Gujarat visit:
10:40 pm: Modi and Xi arrive at Palam airport in Delhi
5:55 pm: Modi and Xi arrive at Sabarmati waterfront
5:47pm: Modi and Xi leave Sabarmati Ashram
5:30pm: Chinese President Xi Jinping pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram
05:18 pm: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at Sabarmati ashram, accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
05:06 pm: Modi leaves from Hyatt hotel, expected to reach Sabarmati riverfront shortly.
04:45 pm: Three MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping.
One is for an industrial park in Gujarat and another is for a sister city. A third is between the governments of Gujarat and a Chinese province.
3:44 pm: PM Modi and Chinese President interact with Indian and Chinese mediapersons at Hyatt Hotel.
3:42pm: PM Narendra Modi receives Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife at Hotel Hyatt.
3:16pm: Narendra Modi reaches Hyatt hotel. PM Modi will receive Chinese President Xi Jinping at Hotel Hyatt.
3:11 pm: The Chinese President was given the Guard of Honour before being taken to Grand Hyatt hotel.
3:06pm: Gujarat Governor OP Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel receive Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.
2:45pm: The aircraft carrying Chinese President lands at airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at Hotel Hyatt where the two leaders held talks, and agreements related to the region, including setting up of Chinese industrial parks, were inked.
A guard of honour was presented to Xi on the tarmac of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport of Ahmedabad and he was received by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
The chief minister later tweeted: "Privileged to welcome President Xi Jinping & First Lady of China on their historic visit to Gujarat - the land of Gandhi and Sardar."
After welcoming the Chinese president at the hotel, Modi took him around a pictorial gallery featuring Vadnagar, Modi's hometown, and its Buddhist links. Seventh century Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang had visited Vadnagar during his 15-year stay in the country.
Modi had tweeted about Vadnagar and its Buddhist heritage Sep 15.
Clad in his iconic half-sleeve kurta and a wood coloured jacket, Modi interacted warmly with Xi.
Xi flew down to Ahmedabad from Colombo, becoming the first world leader to begin an India visit from Gujarat.
Huge hoardings of the Chinese president, his wife, Modi and the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel adorned the commercial capital of Gujarat.
Jinping is the first Chinese head of state to visit India in eight years.
The Chinese President will leave for Delhi at 7.30 pm.
The visit of the Chinese President to India will be closely watched and analysed.
During his three-day stay, the Chinese President is expected to commit investments worth USD 6.5 billion to set up industrial parks in India and sign purchase agreements of over USD 3 billion with domestic companies.
As CM of Gujarat, Modi travelled to China five times, more than to any other nation, and he has been visibly impressed by China's economic success.
During the visit, about two dozen Chinese companies are likely to sign purchasing agreements with Indian firms to buy products such as copper cathode, sea food, cotton yarn, industrial salt and polypropylene.
16 documents are likely to be signed in areas such as trade and economic development, drug administration and cooperation.
China has proposed to set up an automobile industrial park in Maharashtra and a power transmission park in Gujarat. The Chinese companies are expected to invest about USD 6.5 billion for development of these parks.
These investments and purchase agreements will help India in narrowing the ballooning trade deficit with China which has reached about USD 35 billion in 2013-14.
The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 65.85 billion in 2013-14. China has invested only USD 410 million during April 2000 and June 2014.