SHANGHAI -- President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet on Sunday evening in Shanghai to welcome distinguished guests from around the world, who will attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) opening Monday.

Xi and Peng took group photos with foreign leaders and their spouses.

On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi extended a warm welcome to foreign leaders and other guests.

Shanghai is the largest economic center of China and is at the frontier of China's reform and opening-up. It has witnessed the historical course of China's opening-up and cooperation since modern times and has written a splendid chapter of China's 40 years of reform and opening-up, Xi said.