Ahead of Modi-Xi Jinping summit, PM tweets in English, Tamil and Mandarin

Chennai, Oct 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Chennai on Friday to attend the second informal meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He arrived by a special flight from Delhi and was received by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami among others.

Taking to Twitter, Modi wrote,"Landed in Chennai. I am happy to be in the great land of Tamil Nadu, known for its wonderful culture and hospitality. It is gladdening that Tamil Nadu will host President Xi Jinping. May this Informal Summit further strengthen ties between India and China."

Of late, Modi has been laying a lot of stress on Tamil, which was evident during his speeches in and about the language during his September US visit, besides his official engagements in this city last week.

On Friday, Modi also tweeted in Chinese, in an apparent attempt to reach out to the eastern neighbour ahead of his meeting with Jinping on Friday and Saturday. The two top leaders are expected to discuss various bilateral issues.

The Prime Minister will later proceed to the coastal town of Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here, which will host the two high-profile leaders during their second informal summit.

The Chinese city of Wuhan had hosted the first informal summit between Modi and Xi last year. The two leaders are expected to discuss various bilateral issues during their two-day meet concluding on Saturday.