Hu says China has "very good" relations with Washington state

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire sat side by side in plush armchairs in an ornately decorated conference room at the stately Fairmont Hotel, each at the head of a row of government officials from their respective countries.

Hu said he didn't choose to visit Seattle simply because it's the closest major U.S. city to China. "It is also because your state enjoys very good cooperative relations with my country," he said through a translator.

Hu noted that last year, China imported about $5 billion in goods from Washington state, up significantly from the previous year.

China is Washington's third-largest export market, while Washington imported more than $16 billion worth of products from China in 2005.

Seattle was the first U.S. port used by Chinese shippers after relations were normalized during the Richard Nixon administration. State ports, particularly Seattle and Tacoma, are major gateways for Chinese goods into the United States, as well as outbound goods.

Gregoire visited China last fall and met with China's vice president in Seattle as a preparation 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, Gregoire said.

After meeting with Gregoire, Hu was heading to Microsoft's Redmond headquarters east of Seattle, to mingle with executives and take a tour of the software maker's "Home of the Future."

After the 20-minute meeting ended, Gregoire told reporters it was "a very positive exchange."

The governor said Hu seemed receptive to her suggestion that China set up a trade office in Washington state. "Not only did he know that we had exported over $5 billion dollars in goods and services last year, but that he would expect much more in the future," she said.

Gregoire also said she asked Hu if China would host a Pacific summit on global health like one being held in Seattle in June, and to create an educational institute in China for students and teachers from Washington, and one here for those from China.

She said she did not pose any specific questions about human rights. "Rather than pressing a specific agenda, I simply believe that we serve with the warm welcome he received today as a role model for what democracy can mean for that country," Gregoire said.

She described Hu as a warm man who's proud of the friendship his country has begun with Washington and the United States. She noted that he stopped his motorcade before leaving Paine Field north of Seattle to shake hands with many Chinese Americans who had gathered to welcome him.

Though the talk was mostly business, she said there were some light moments -- but with a chuckle, she opted not to share any details with reporters.