Premier Li held a ceremony to welcome Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 9.

Sogavare, who is on an official visit to China, will also attend the closing ceremony of the 2019 International Horticultural Exhibition.

This is the first visit to China by a Solomon Islands prime minister after the two countries established diplomatic relations in September.

Wang Yi, state councilor and foreign minister; He Lifeng, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission; and Liu Xincheng, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also attended the welcome ceremony.