BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games on Feb. 7 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Thursday.

Xi will also host a welcome banquet for foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony, including Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea Woo Won-shik.