Carter meets Xi

Former United States president Jimmy Carter congratulated China's Xi Jinping on his recent appointment as the leader of the country's Communist Party when they met in Beijing on Thursday (December 13).

Xi welcomed Carter and his wife Rosalynn in the Zhongnanhai leaders compound, the Chinese equivalent of the White House, before the two sat down for talks.

Xi, who became Party Chief during a Congress last month, is due to take over as the country's president in March.

On Tuesday (December 11) Carter met with China's future premier, Li Keqiang, who praised improved ties since China-U.S. diplomatic relations were established under Carter in 1979, the Xinhua news agency reported.