BEIJING - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in China's eastern city of Hangzhou, state media said on Thursday.

He is due to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games along with more than a dozen foreign dignitaries, the foreign ministry said earlier.

This is his first visit to China since 2004.

Mr Assad arrived aboard an Air China plane amid heavy fog.

State media said it “added to the atmosphere of mystery” in a nod to the fact that he has seldom been seen since the start of a civil war in Syria.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Assad's presidential office said he would lead a senior delegation for a series of meetings in several Chinese cities, including a summit with President Xi Jinping.

During his last visit to China, Mr Assad met then-president Hu Jintao.

It was the first visit by a Syrian head of state to China since the countries established diplomatic ties in 1956.

China, like Syria’s main allies Russia and Iran, maintained those ties even as other countries isolated Mr Assad over his crackdown of anti-government demonstrations that erupted in 2011.

The violence claimed more than half a million lives and displaced countless others.

Since then, Mr Assad has faced diplomatic isolation amid Western sanctions. REUTERS