Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived at the Chilean capital Santiago and began the state visit to Chile on November 18, 2004. Hu Jintao will attend the 12th APEC's informal leadership meeting to be held from the 20th to the 21st.

Hu Jintao arrived at Santiago in a special plane from the southwestern Argentinean city Bariloche after his state visit to Argentina.

At noon the same day, Hu Jintao's special plane arrived at the Santiago airport. Hu Jintao and his wife Liu Yongqing were welcomed at the airport by senior officials from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chilean Ambassador to China Pablo Cabrera.

In his written speech delivered at the airport, Hu Jintao pointed out that although China and Chile are far away from each other, the friendship between the peoples of the two countries is time honored. In 1970, Chile became the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China, opening a new page in the friendly exchanges of the two countries. Over the past 34 years, especially since 2001 when the two countries established long-term, stable, equal, reciprocal and comprehensive cooperation relations, the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Chile has been expanding in all fields. The two countries coordinate and cooperate closely with each other in international affairs. Reality has proved that strengthening China-Chile relations is in the long-term and basic interests of the two countries and their peoples.

Hu Jintao noted that the Chinese government attaches great importance to China-Chile relations. During his visit he will exchange in-depth opinions with President Lagos and other Chilean leaders on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues. Hu Jintao expressed the confidence that this visit will reach the goals of expanding consensus, enhancing mutual trust, exploring cooperation and seeking common development and promote further development of the friendly and cooperative China-Chile relations.

Director Wang Gang of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and other accompanying officials arrived at Chile by the same plane.

Present at the airport to welcome President Hu Jintao were also Chief Executive Tong Chee-hua of Hong Kong SAR who had arrived earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Chile Li Changhua and staff of the Chinese Embassy.

Chile is the third stop of Hu Jintao's visit to the 4 Latin American countries. After the visit to Chile and attending the APEC informal leadership meeting, he will also pay a state visit to Cuba. He had visited Brazil and Argentina before arriving in Chile.