President Hu to Begin Presidential Overseas Tour

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 21, 2003

President Hu to Begin Presidential Overseas Tour

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President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia and attend the leaders' informal dialogue meeting between the North and the South in Evian, France from May 26 to June 5, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue announced Tuesday.

During his tour, President Hu will also attend the third Summit Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member nations to be held in Moscow, and the celebrations of the tri-centennial anniversary of the establishment of the city of St. Petersburg, Zhang said at a regular press conference.

This is the first overseas trip by the Chinese president since the country's new central leadership took office.

During his visits, President Hu will have extensive contacts with foreign leaders and noted figures from all circles, exchange views with them in a deep-going way on bilateral relations and major international issues of common concern, and sign a series of important documents of cooperation.

Hu's visit will further enhance the friendly and cooperative relationship between China and the relevant countries and will promote regional and international cooperation, said the spokeswoman.

President Hu has been invited by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, French President Jaques Chirac, Kazakhstan President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev and Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy.

The Chinese president will also meet leaders from other countries, and a meeting with United States President George W. Bush is possible.

"China and the United States have preliminarily agreed to hold talks,'' Zhang said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying that Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi are likely to meet in St. Petersburg at the end of this month.

Zhang declined to confirm that a meeting would take place but said: "We hope Sino-Japanese relations can be pushed forward steadily through direct contact between the leaders (of the two coutnries.''

Turning to China's co-operation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the fight against SARS, Zhang said a meeting on the border exit and entry control measures will be held in Beijing on June 1 and 2.

The meeting aims to ensure safe exchanges of personnel and promote the development of tourism and trade between the two sides.

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