CHINA / National |
President Hu welcomes historic ship on visit to Sweden(AP)Updated: 2007-06-09 21:54 GOTEBORG, Sweden -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf on Saturday welcomed the replica of an 18th century merchant ship to its home port after a 20-month roundtrip to Asia. The cast-iron guns of the Gotheborg fired a 21-shot salute as the tall East Indiaman entered the harbor of this southwestern city amid cheers and applause from tens of thousands of people lined up on the sun-drenched keys. The Chinese president, who was on a state visit to Sweden, and the monarch boarded the ship, where they greeted the captain, Peter Kaarling, and welcomed the crew back from its long voyage. In a brief speech, Hu expressed gratitude for having been invited to the ceremony and vowed to "expand the practical work on strengthening the relations" between China and Sweden. The ship, modeled after a merchant vessel that sank in 1745, set sail from Goteborg in October 2005, and followed the route taken by the historic East Indiamen to the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai. It was built mostly by hand with the techniques used to make its forerunner, but sports modern engines and navigation equipment. Thousands of ships, from tiny sailboats to yachts and even cruise ships, followed the wooden vessel as it approached the Goteborg harbor. Thin banners in red, blue and yellow -- the colors of the Chinese and Swedish flags -- were lowered from the tall masts when the Gotheborg entered the port. "Welcome home after a fantastic voyage," King Carl Gustaf, who is the ship's patron, said after boarding the ship. Earlier Saturday, Hu and the monarch rode in a horse-drawn carriage to the royal palace in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, for an official welcoming ceremony. After inspecting an honor guard and listening to the national anthems, Hu shook hands with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and members of his Cabinet. Queen Silvia and Hu's wife, Liu Yongqing, joined the president and King Carl Gustaf as they entered the palace to exchange gifts. Hu -- the first Chinese president to pay a state visit to Sweden -- was to attend a banquet in Stockholm later Saturday, and meet with Prime Minister Reinfeldt on Sunday.
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