Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Belgrade at the start of a three-day state visit to Serbia.

President Xi was welcomed by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and other senior politicians at the airport. This is the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Serbia.

President Xi will meet political and business leaders and exchange views on international and regional issues.

A series of deals are expected to be signed. Serbia was one of the first countries to embrace China's Belt and Road Initiative. Serbia wants to re-industrialize, and it hopes to benefit from increased Chinese investment and greater connectivity across the continent.

China says President Xi's visit to Serbia and Poland highlights the importance of Central and Eastern European countries in China's foreign policy.