Chinese president arrives in the Northwest

Among the crowd of hundreds gathered in Paine Field in Everett early this morning to welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao were perhaps his youngest fans.

Ten-year-old Natalia Roberts Buceta and 11-year-old Agueda Dudley-Berrios were the first to greet the president and his wife just moments after his Boeing-made 747 crossed the Washington skyline and landed ahead of schedule around 10:38 this morning.

When Hu and his wife, Liu Yongqing, stepped out of the Air China commercial jet and waved, the crowd chanted "Huanying! Huanying!" or "Welcome! Welcome!" Many shook Chinese and American flags.

In the background, a drumbeat played for dragon and lion dancers from the Seattle Kung Fu Academy, while members of the Washington State Patrol Color Guard saluted Hu.

Leading a long procession of local government leaders, Natalia and Agueda, dressed in costumes for a Chinese ribbon dance, handed Hu and his wife flowers and recited what their teacher had carefully taught them in Chinese: "President Hu, Welcome to Seattle."

Each received a hug and some kind words they didn't understand in Chinese.

"We felt really important," Natalia said.

"I'll remember it for a long time," Agueda said. "His wife was really nice. She was really elegant in a blue suit."

The girls are part of a dance troupe at John Stanford International School in Seattle led by English immersion teacher AnChi Wei. They were performing for Hu's arrival when they were selected to present the flowers.

Just behind them was a procession of leaders including Governor Christine Gregoire, King County Executive Ron Sims, former Governor Gary Locke, and Boeing Commercial Airplane President Alan Mulally.

China does not have an equivalent of Air Force One, Boeing officials said; hence the commercial jet from Air China, the mainland's largest airline, which is state-owned.

Hu's entourage passed out a statement on his arrival in Washington.

"Washington State and Seattle, known as the Evergreen State and Emerald City, are renowned for their beautiful environments and dynamic economies," Hu's statement said. "They are important American gateways to China and the rest of Asia."

After greeting community leaders, Hu, wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie, then crossed the red carpet and stopped several times to wave at supporters and journalists.

"For him to go down the line [to wave at supporters] is incredible for a major leader," Mulally said to reporters afterwards. "The more you know about China the more you realize what you have in common, and the more alike you are."

Some welcomers woke up as early as 4 a.m. to get past security to welcome the Chinese President.

Best friends Megan Yeun, 17, and Andrea Louie, 16, traveled from Renton and Tacoma early this morning to get a glimpse of Hu.

Yeun is currently taking a Mandarin Chinese class and said she came because she's curious about the Chinese President.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Yeun said. "I'm really tied to my Chinese heritage and want to keep in touch with my cultural roots."

Far outside the Boeing compound, a small group of Falun Gong supporters waved banners protesting Hu's visit.

A short while after landing, Hu and his wife departed in a diplomatic limousine bearing the Chinese flags. His delegation of about 100 people left in black cars and SUVs.

POSTED 12:04 PM

Honored guests, please take it outside

One concern at the Gates mansion has been accommodating the Chinese guests who smoke.

Their solution — a custom-made tent has been set up near the house as a smoking pavilion.

Other late-breaking tidbits from tonight's dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao:

• Each of the 111 confirmed guests will receive a menu in hand-calligraphy as a souvenir.

• The banquet centerpieces will contain deep-red roses and golden orchids.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com

POSTED 11:00 AM

President Hu's schedule

Today: 11 a.m. arrival at Paine Field, greeted by Gov. Christine Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, former Gov. Gary Locke and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Alan Mulally.

Meeting with Gregoire at Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Afternoon tour of Microsoft campus with Bill Gates.

Meeting with Chinese community leaders.

Dinner hosted by Gregoire at Medina mansion of Bill and Melinda Gates, with 100 business, government and community leaders.

Wednesday: Morning tour of Boeing's Everett plant with Mulally. At 10:30 a.m., President Hu addresses Boeing employees.

Luncheon speech, billed as "a major policy address," at the Future of Flight museum in Everett.

12:45 p.m. departure from Paine Field.

Source: Washington State Planning & Welcoming Committee