On September 22 local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Seattle, the largest city of Washington State of the US, starting his state visit to the country.

At about 9:30 am local time, President Xi Jinping arrived at the Paine Field Airport in Seattle by special plane. Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan walked out of the cabin door. Jay Inslee, Representative of President Barack Obama of the US and Governor of Washington State, and his wife, Ed Murray, senior official of the US Federal Government and Mayor of Seattle, as well as local political heavyweights and friendly personages of various circles came to the accommodation ladder to warmly welcome Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan. Local children presented a bunch of flowers to them.

Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings and best wishes to people of the US. He pointed out that China and the US are great countries and their peoples are great peoples. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 36 years ago, bilateral relationship has experienced ups and downs and moved forward continuously despite of difficulties, greatly benefiting people in the two countries as well as the rest of the world. Currently, China and the US witness more converged interests, more consolidated cooperation foundation and more coordination in international and regional affairs. China and the US joining hands to build the new model of major-country relationship and realize non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation is a common aspiration of the two peoples as well as the international community and a right choice conforming to the trend of the times. His visit to the US is to deepen friendship between the two peoples, expand bilateral practical cooperation in all fields and make greater progress in building the new model of major-country relationship between both countries. He is looking forward to exchanging in-depth views with President Barack Obama on bilateral relations and the international situation and having extensive contacts with people of various circles in the US thus together discuss the major plan for further developing bilateral relations

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and other delegation members arrived by the same plane.

H.E. Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the US, also greeted them at the airport.

Seattle is the first stop of Xi Jinping's US visit. Afterwards, He will continue his visit in Washington D.C. and attend the series of summits marking the 70th anniversary of the UN at the UN headquarters in New York.