Chinese President postpones Portugal visit

PORTUGAL: Chinese President Hu Jintao postponed a visit to Portugal after cutting short his stay in Europe because of deadly unrest in Xinjiang region, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported Wednesday.

"The postponement of the visit was communicated this morning to the Portuguese embassy in Beijing by the Chinese foreign ministry," a Chinese government spokesman told Lusa. Hu had been expected in Portugal on Friday for a two-day visit, when the two countries had been expected to sign a number of trade deals.

But the Chinese official said the two countries would reschedule the visit. Portugal did not immediately confirm the postponement.

Hu went to Italy for the Group of Eight summit but returned home early Wednesday because of the unrest in Xinjiang region, Chinese state media reported.

Hu's visit to Portugal would have involved meetings with President Anibal Cavaco Silva, Prime Minister Jose Socrates and parliament speaker Jaime Gama.

The visit, which would have included a delegation of some 200 Chinese businessmen, was also intended to tighten economic links, with cooperation agreements particularly in the field of tourism. LISBON, Wednesday,

AFP