US President George W. Bush arrived Thursday morning in Beijing aboard Air Force One to begin his two-day working visit to China, at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Bush and his entourage were greeted at the Capital Airport by Chinese and US officials.
Also arriving aboard the presidential plane are Bush's wife Laura Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and others.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin will hold talks with Bush this morning, during which they will exchange views on Sino-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
After the talks, the two presidents will jointly host a press conference.
Before his East Asia tour, Bush said in an interview with Chinese reporters in Washington that the United States must work to have good relations with China, and that he is looking forward to sharing views with President Jiang on the war against terror, bilateral relations including trade, and other issues of mutual concern.
Bush is the sixth incumbent US president to visit China. In fact, this is his second China trip in four months. Bush went to Shanghai last October to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) economic leaders' meeting, during which he also met with President Jiang.
It is widely believed that the coming Jiang-Bush meeting, the 18th such meeting between Chinese and US presidents, will have apositive effect on Sino-US relations in the future.
Thirty years ago to the day, the then US President Richard Nixon began his historic visit to China. His visit is now known asan "ice-breaking" trip in the history of Sino-US ties.
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2002)
