U.S. President William Clinton arrived at the Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an City at 7:14 this evening, starting his nine-day state visit to China.

The visit marks another major event after Chinese President Jiang Zemin's state visit to the United States last October.

Clinton is the first incumbent U.S. president to visit China since 1989. It is also his first special visit to a single country.

The wife of President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Secretary of Treasury Robert Rubin, Secretary of Commerce william Daley and other members of the president's official delegation, arrived at the same time.

The U.S. president, wearing a dark suit and a yellow tie, and Mrs. Clinton stepped down the ramp at 7:37 p.m. (local time). They were greeted at the planeside by U.S. ambassador to China James Sasser and Mrs. Sasser, Deputy Governor of Shaanxi Province Jia Zhibang and his wife, Chinese ambassador to the United States Li Zhaoxing and his wife, and Xi'an Mayor Feng Xuchu.

Two children presented bouquets of flowers to the U.S. president and his wife, who later posed for a picture with the children.

The motorcade of Clinton left the airport four minutes later for the south gate of Xi'an, the Yongning Gate, which is about 40 km away from the airport.

The U.S. President arrived at the Yongning (Eternal Peace) Gate, the southern gate of the ancient city wall of the ancient city at 8:39 p.m.

Many local people were seen along the 40-km road to the gate to greet the US president. The crowds grew thicker as he approached the gate.

President Clinton was greeted by the Shaanxi provincial governor Cheng Andong and other local officials at a grand ceremony that revives an ancient parade ritual in honor of distinguished guests, now a tourist program in the tourist attraction.