Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson arrived in Beijing on Monday, starting his seven-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

This is Grimsson's first China visit after he took office as president in August 1996.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao will hold talks or meet with Grimsson in Beijing. Accompanying him on the visit are more than 200 government officials, business people and journalists.

Besides Beijing, the 62-year-old president will also visit Shanghai, China's economic hub, and east China's Shandong Province.