Chinese President arrives in US for state visit
By DPA, IANSTuesday, January 18, 2011
WASHINGTON - Chinese President Hu Jintao has arrived in the US for a high profile visit that will include a wide range of economic and international security discussions when he meets President Barack Obama.
Hu landed at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington and was greeted by Vice President Joe Biden. Hu was to have dinner with Obama and Biden Tuesday evening.
Hu is scheduled to arrive at the White House Wednesday morning to begin his official state visit and day full of activities. There will be an arrival ceremony followed by meetings with Obama and a subsequent press conference.
In the evening, Obama will host Hu for a state dinner, among the highest honours a US president can bestow on a foreign leader.
Behind all of the public display, talks between the two countries are expected to be contentious. The economic powerhouses have had sharp disagreements over economic and monetary policies.
North Korea’s nuclear activities and recent tension on the peninsula will also be high on the agenda. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said ahead of the summit that the two countries will be looking to intensify cooperation on a range of issues globally as well as in Asia.
