China's press hails Hu visit

China's President Hu Jintao makes his mark in Europe

The visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Europe has been hailed as a great success by newspapers both on the mainland and in Hong Kong.

Mr Hu's first international trip since taking office, they say, proves that China is becoming increasingly integrated into the international community.

The Chinese leader attended the St Petersburg tercentenary celebrations at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, before going on to make an important speech at the G8 summit in Evian, France.

"For many countries at the G8 summit, China symbolises an important 'breath of fresh air'," Shanghai's Wenhui Bao comments.

"Relations between the G8 and China will no doubt become a topic worth studying for several years to come."

Coming of age

Beijing's Qingnian Bao feels that both Hu and China have come of age on the international scene.

"President Hu Jintao's first overseas visit since becoming head of state fully indicates China has established its image and status as a 'responsible power' in the international community," the paper proclaims.

China has entered the G8's field of vision

Qingnian Bao

A Qingnian Bao commentary argues that "China's influence on US foreign policy has been rising by the day" pointing to Washington's "continuous reliance on China to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis".

Another commentator in the daily is gratified that "China has entered the G8's field of vision", convinced that with Beijing maintaining close ties with developing nations, it will be able to "influence the G8 on the issue of North-South co-operation".

The China Youth Daily praises Mr Hu for dispensing with the traditional send-off ceremony when he left for Moscow, saying that his low-key style should be held up as a model for officials throughout China.

Upstaging Jiang

Both Hong Kong's Chinese-language and English press similarly praise the Chinese leader.

The Apple Daily, an independent newspaper banned on the mainland for its outspoken criticism of the Communist Party, is particularly complimentary.

"He has won the hearts of the people," it says, adding that Mr Hu has also managed to step out of the shadow of his predecessor, Jiang Zemin.

"As everybody knows, in the past Jiang Zemin used every means to win over the leaders of other big powers, attempting to establish private friendship with Bush, Putin, and other leaders. The Chinese leader received by Putin's unprecedented banquet in his home town was not Jiang Zemin but Hu Jintao.".

Hu Jintao's ground-breaking G8 attendance

Ching Chi Jih Pao

The South China Morning Post compliments him for his "informality", "deft touch" and preference for a lack of pomp and ceremony during his visit.

Hong Kong's Chinese-language Wen Wei Po says that "China's participation in summit carries symbolic significance".

It speaks of "some subtle yet important changes resulting from the G8 summit... there is no doubt that political relations between China and France will be strengthened significantly".

Another Chinese-language Hong Kong paper, Ching Chi Jih Pao, quotes what it describes as "outside circles" as saying that Hu Jintao's "groundbreaking" G8 attendance marks China's first step toward joining the G8 following its accession to the World Trade Organization".

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.