Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington, kicking off his official visit to the United States. Xi is visiting as a guest of Vice President Joe Biden.

Chinese Vice President arrives in US.

In a written statement issued upon his arrival at the airport, Xi said the purpose of his visit is to implement the important consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama during Hu's visit to the US last year.

It's also aimed at advancing the building of the China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Xi said that as the international situation experiences complex and profound changes China and the US have more extensive common interests and shoulder more important common responsibilities.

Xi's US tour has attracted worldwide attention.

Besides attending a series of high-level talks and meetings in Washington, Xi is also expected to travel to Iowa and Los Angeles.

The United States is the first leg of Xi's three-nation tour that also includes Ireland and Turkey.