Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao toured Wall Street and the United Nations and laid a wreath at the site of the Sept. 11 attacks on Monday, beginning his first official visit to the United States.
Hu opened his tour of the Big Apple by visiting Wall Street, where he rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, marking the start of the day's trading.
He then traveled a few blocks across Manhattan's financial district to bow at the site where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood until they were toppled by hijacked airliners.
Traveling in a motorcade of 17 limousines, vans and police cars, he next raced to United Nations headquarters, where he conferred with Secretary-General Kofi Annan and took a whirlwind tour.
"His talks with the secretary-general were very instructive," said China's UN ambassador, Wang Yingfan.
"He said China appreciated very much the role the United Nations was playing in world affairs, particularly in the Middle East," Wang said after Hu's visit.
Hu also met with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said afterward the Chinese leader was "charming."
He was next due to head to Washington to meet on Tuesday and on Wednesday with US President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
(China Daily April 30, 2002)
