CHINESE President Xi Jinping arrived in Chennai to a red carpet welcome on Friday for his second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid a strain in bilateral ties over the hardline approach on the Kashmir issue by both sides.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister E K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri welcomed Xi at the Chennai airport on his nearly 24-hour visit. “Welcome to India, President Xi Jinping!” Modi tweeted, shortly after the Chinese leader arrived on an Air China Boeing 747 aircraft, accompanied by a 90-member delegation including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Polit Bureau member of Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party Ding Xuexiang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

A brief cultural ceremony reflecting Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage was organised at the airport to welcome the visiting leader.