Chinese president meets Israeli prime minister

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 9, 2013.[Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping met with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Xi said Netanyahu's visit shows that the Israeli government and Netanyahu himself attach great importance to China-Israel relations.

"China also attaches importance to bilateral relations," Xi said.

Xi added that he wished to exchange views on bilateral ties and other issues of common concern with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu arrived in Shanghai on Monday and flew to Beijing Wednesday morning. He spoke with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on the same day.

Hailing China's great development over the past years compared what he saw 15 years ago, Netanyahu said he looks forward to closer cooperation between the two countries to achieve even greater success.