President Xi welcomed by Obama as he arrives in Washington DC

President Xi Jinping, left, and his wife Peng Liyuan wave upon their arrival in Washington DC, Sept 24, 2015. [Photo by Lan Hongguang/Xinhua]

WASHINGTON - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington Thursday to meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama and other US political leaders as part of his first state visit to the United States.

Xi will receive a grand welcoming ceremony Friday at the White House, hold talks with Obama, meet the press and attend a state dinner.

He will also meet US parliament leaders and attend a welcoming luncheon held by Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.

The two presidents will exchange views on bilateral ties, their respective domestic and foreign policies, and regional and international situation, to ensure that the new model of major-country relationship between China and US further develop on a correct track.

The two sides are expected to reach important agreements in economy and trade, energy, people-to-people exchanges, climate change, environmental protection, finance, science and technology, agriculture, law enforcement, defense, aviation and infrastructure development.

The Xi-Obama summit will be the fifth between the two heads of state.