国内英语新闻:Chinese vice president arrives in Botswana for official visit

GABORONE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived in Gaborone on Saturday, kicking off his official visit to Botswana.

Xi made the visit as a guest of Botswana's Vice President Mompati Merafhe who came to the airport to receive Xi.

In his written speech, Xi said Botswana boasts beautiful scenery and has scored marked achievements in securing national unity and economic development.

Xi said the China-Botswana relationship is very profound, noting that bilateral friendly cooperation ties have seen smooth and healthy expansion, which benefit the peoples from the two sides.

Xi said his current visit is aimed to further consolidate traditional friendship between the two, increase mutual political trust and explore mutual cooperation.

"I'm looking forward to meeting leaders of Botswana and exchanging views with them on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern," he said.

He also said he believed his visit would be a success.

Botswana is the final leg of Xi's four-nation trip to Asia and Africa.

In 1975, China and Botswana established the diplomatic relations.