The Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced that the country's leader Xi Jinping will be present for the Opening Ceremony of Chengdu 2021 ©Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the Opening Ceremony of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games in Chengdu on Friday (July 28).

The country’s Foreign Ministry has announced that Xi will be in attendance for the spectacle that is due to be held at the 40,000-seater Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium.

Xi had last year opened the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. 

He is also expected to open this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, due to take place between September 23 and October 8.

As well as declaring the Games in Chengdu open, Xi is scheduled to host a welcome banquet and bilateral meetings with several world leaders that are set to arrive in Chengdu for the Opening Ceremony.

China's President Xi Jinping opened the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing last year ©Getty Images
China's President Xi Jinping opened the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing last year ©Getty Images

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili are among those that are expected to make the trip to the Chinese city for the Games.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also announced that Mauritanian President Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, Burundian leader Evariste Ndayishimiye, Fiji's Prime Minister Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali will be present for the Opening Ceremony.

The leaders of Indonesia, Georgia, Mauritania, Burundi, Fiji and Guyana will look to use the opportunity to strengthen ties with China.

The World University Games, formerly known as the Universiade, are no stranger to attracting heads of state as Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Opening Ceremony of both Kazan 2013 and Krasnoyarsk 2019.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the opening of the last Summer University Games staged in Napoli in 2019.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade open ©Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade open ©Getty Images

Chengdu is the third Chinese mainland city to host the biennial Summer University Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011.

Xi’s predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao were in attendance for Beijing 2001 and Shenzhen 2011 respectively.

Athletes from more than 100 countries are expected to compete at Chengdu 2021, which has been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yekaterinburg in Russia was initially awarded hosting rights for this year's Games, but these were suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.

A total of 18 sports are set to be contested in Chengdu with the Games scheduled to close on August 8.