Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in China on the latest leg of his tour of foreign nations.

He touched down in Beijing this morning at the start of a three-day visit intended to mark 25 years of relations between the two countries.

President Xi Jinping will host an official dinner with Mr Netanyahu, who is being accompanied on the trip by his wife, Sara, as well as a group of around 90 leading Israeli business figures.

His meetings are likely to be aimed largely at developing economic ties in the Far East. He will chair a business forum for around 500 people this week.

Mr Netanyahu told last week’s Israeli cabinet meeting that there would be a series of talks with the heads of “the biggest corporations in China”.

The Israelis hope deals will be done in the education, health, science and aviation fields.

Bilateral trade between the nations totals around £9 billion a year.

Mr Netanyahu has travelled to countries including Britain, the United States, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Fiji this year on a series of diplomatic and economic visits despite domestic troubles.

It is four years since the Israeli leader last visited China.