Crowds gather to give warm welcome to President Xi in Rio de Janeiro

People from different walks of life lined the streets of Rio de Janeiro to welcome visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in the Brazilian city on Sunday afternoon local time.

The welcoming crowds were seen waving Chinese and Brazilian national flags and holding banners adorned with messages offering a warm welcome to the Chinese president as his motorcade passed by.

Xi arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to attend the 19th G20 Summit and pay a state visit to the Latin American country at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Xi's trip to Brazil immediately follows his state visit to Peru, where the Chinese president arrived on Thursday before attending the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

The 19th G20 Summit will take place in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and Tuesday, under the theme of 'building a just world and a sustainable planet'.

During his stay in Brazil, Xi will hold talks with President Lula to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Crowds gather to give warm welcome to President Xi in Rio de Janeiro

Crowds gather to give warm welcome to President Xi in Rio de Janeiro

Crowds gather to give warm welcome to President Xi in Rio de Janeiro

Crowds gather to give warm welcome to President Xi in Rio de Janeiro

A Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday that peaceful reunification will create tremendous opportunities for Taiwan's economic and social development.

Backed by a strong motherland, all sectors of Taiwan will be better developed, Zhang Han, the spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference, taking the high-speed railway as an example.

"The mainland has made remarkable progress in the construction of high-speed railways. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), over 12,000 kilometers of high-speed railways have been built and put into operation in the mainland, connecting 128 counties through high-speed rail services. Currently, the total length of high-speed railways has reached 50,400 kilometers, linking 97 percent of the cities having a population of over 500,000. We have built the world's largest and most advanced high-speed railway network. Swiftly running trains help reduce the distance, and allow people to dream bigger. Faraway places now are no longer so far-off. Peaceful reunification will create tremendous opportunities for Taiwan's economic and social development. With the strong backing of the strong motherland, all sectors of Taiwan, including infrastructure, will be better developed. Taiwan compatriots will be able to join their mainland counterparts in sharing the dignity and triumph of our great nation, sharing the fruits of Chinese modernization, and embracing a bright future of prosperity and stability," Zhang said.

Peaceful reunification to bring opportunities to Taiwan: mainland spokesperson