2010-04-17 15:17

BEIJING - President Hu Jintao concluded his overseas visit and returned to Beijing on Saturday ahead of schedule due to a strong earthquake in northwest China.

Hu postponed trips to Venezuela and Chile through telephone talks with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to inform them of the situation in China's earthquake-hit region.

Hu's tour took him to Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13 before a meeting of the BRIC nations -- Brazil, Russia, India and China in Brasilia and a state visit to Brazil.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake, which rocked the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in Qinghai Province on Wednesday, has killed at least 1,144 people and left 417 missing and 11,744 others injured.

To deal with the devastating earthquake in Qinghai, Premier Wen has delayed visits to Brunei, Indonesia and Myanmar scheduled for April 22-25. Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also cuts short a six-nation tour by postponing his visits to Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ireland and Montenegro.