Chinese President Visits Israel Holocaust Memorial

Chinese President Jiang Zemin Visits Jerusalem Holocaust Memorial

Wearing a traditional Jewish skullcap, Chinese President Jiang Zemin laid a wreath April 13 at the Yad Vashem memorial to victims of the Holocaust, the Nazi slaughter of Europe's Jews in World War II.

He toured the memorial's museums and laid the wreath in the Hall of Memory.

Jiang did not speak during the 15-minute ceremony, which included the recital of a prayer and a song by six small girls.

Yad Vashem is virtually an obligatory stop for official guests in Israel, and it began the second day of Jiang's unprecedented six-day visit.

His agenda for the day also included the laying of another wreath on the grave of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in Mount Herzl ceremony near Yad Vashem on the edge of Jerusalem.

He was later to meet at Israel's parliament with speaker Avraham Burg.