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President Hu leaves for state visit to US

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-18 15:51

BEIJING - President Hu Jintao left Beijing Tuesday afternoon for a state visit to the United States.

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As a guest of US President Barack Obama, Hu will be in the United States from Tuesday to Friday.

During his four-day trip, Hu is to hold talks with Obama and attend a welcome ceremony and a state dinner in Washington. Hu is also scheduled to meet with some US Congress members and other groups.

Hu will also visit the midwestern city of Chicago.

"China and the United States should act in the fundamental interests of our two peoples and uphold the overall interests of world peace and development," Hu said in a written interview with the US press prior to the visit.

"We should rise up to challenges, remove disturbances, work for shared goals and promote continuous growth of our relations," Hu said.

US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has said Hu's state visit was "a very exciting and historic time in the US-China relationship".