Gregoire: Hu's visit could aid China trade

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. Christine 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 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.

China is the state's third-most important trading partner, with two-way trade of more than $20 billion in 2004, and Gregoire said the potential for expansion seems limitless. The country is a major importer of state products, ranging from apples to software to jetliners to biomedical equipment.

The governor said the visit will increase the state's visibility and she sees opportunity for a huge emerging market for Washington's goods and services.

"They are a wonderful trading partner already, and the potential is amazing," Gregoire told The Associated Press.

The governor visited China last fall and met with China's vice president in Seattle as a run-up to this visit. China, the world's most populous nation, has a growing economy that needs Washington products, as well as services such as environmental remediation, she said.

Gregoire said Hu and his entourage will tour Microsoft and Boeing plants and that the president has been invited to give a major public address. She said Bill and Melinda Gates will host a state dinner at their Lake Washington mansion.

Gregoire plans to visit Taiwan and Korea in the fall.