Beijing: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Thursday announced that President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in the host city Hangzhou on September 23 and will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad along with other visiting leaders there.
According to state media reports, President Xi will hold a welcome banquet and bilateral activities for foreign leaders visiting China.
Earlier, the torch relay for the Asian Games began its concluding stage in Hangzhou on Wednesday morning, marking the commencement of the final countdown towards the much-anticipated inauguration of this grand event.
Scheduled to lift the curtain on September 23, the 19th Asian Games is poised to become the largest edition to date.
The games will feature 12,500 athletes hailing from 45 countries and regions, all vying for glory across 40 sports, 61 disciplines, and 481 events.
With inputs from IANS