Hu leaves for 4 Asian nations, APEC summit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-15 13:15
BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing Wednesday afternoon for a
state visit to Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan from November 15 to 26.
While in Vietnam, Hu is also expected to attend the 14th Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Informal Meeting to be held in Hanoi from
November 17 to 19.
Hu is to pay the state visit as guest of General
Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh and Vietnamese
President Nguyen Minh Triet, General Secretary of Lao People's Revolutionary
Party and Lao President Choummaly Sayasone, Indian President Abdul Kalam and
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan
are good neighbors of China and bilateral ties have maintained a good momentum
of development, said assistant foreign minister Cui Tiankai prior to Hu's
departure.
"Hu's upcoming visit will be of great significance and exert
far-reaching impact on pushing forward relations between China and its four
Asian neighbors," he said.
According to Cui, it is Hu's first ever visit to
Vietnam and Laos after the two countries' ruling parties have their new leaders.
It is also the first visit by the top Chinese leader to India and
Pakistan in a decade.
Hu is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and US President George W. Bush at the APEC summit in
Vietnam, exchanging views on bilateral ties and on international and regional
issues of shared concern.
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