China's Hu on landmark visit to Denmark
COPENHAGEN: Chinese President Hu Jintao comes to Denmark on Thursday for the first-ever state visit by a Chinese president to the Scandinavian country, the Danish prime minister's office said.
"President Hu is to be accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and other central Chinese decision-makers. The programme for the Chinese guests includes, among other issues, economic cooperation and sustainability," a statement said on Monday.
Hu will stay in Denmark, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union, until Saturday before attending the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18-19.
Ties between Beijing and Copenhagen were strained in 2009 when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was received by then-prime minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and foreign minister Per Stig Moeller during a visit to Denmark.
The welcome accorded to him in what was termed a private trip led to the cancellation of official Danish visits to China and caused problems for Danish firms operating in the country.
Denmark sent a diplomatic note to Beijing later that year to smooth things over, saying it would oppose Tibetan independence and carefully consider China's reaction before inviting the Dalai Lama again.
The full details of Hu's visit have yet to be disclosed, but according to a preliminary programme he will attend a banquet hosted by Queen Margrethe II on Friday, and hold talks with the prime minister the following day.
Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has told Danish media she plans to raise human rights issues and the situation in Tibet in her talks with Hu.
China's Hu on landmark visit to Denmark - Channel NewsAsia
Norway should learn from denmark