BEIJING, September 1, 2018 (MENA) - Officials talks between visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping kicked off here on Saturday. The talks are taking up means of boosting joint cooperation along with regional and international issues of common concern. The delegations of the two countries will join the talks later. The two presidents will attend the signing ceremony of cooperation agreements between the two sides. President El Sisi arrived Saturday morning in China on a four-day visit, during which he will hold talks with senior Chinese officials and take part in the 2018 Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will be held on September 3-4. Xinhua described, in an article published Saturday, Sisi's visit as "historic", noting that the Egyptian leader's participation in FOCAC summit is of great importance in light of Cairo's leading role as well as its political and cultural weight across Africa. An official reception ceremony was given at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square for visiting Egyptian President El Sisi by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The guard of honour welcomed president Sisi and Chinese children waved little flags and flowers for him while a military band played the national anthems of the two countries.