Chinese president to visit Washington

OLYMPIA – Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Washington state next month, cementing business and cultural ties that could lead to “amazing” expansion of two-way trade, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said Wednesday.

The rare visit to the state by a sitting Chinese president will be April 18 and 19, the governor confirmed. Former Chinese leaders Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin have also visited Seattle. Hu had planned to visit last fall as part of a trip to the United Nations and the White House. But President Bush, tied up with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, had to reschedule and the Seattle trip was scrubbed.