China's vice president and heir-apparent, Hu Jintao, has arrived in New York City, the second leg of his first official visit to the United States. Mr. Hu rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Monday morning, after arriving in the city by special plane from Honolulu. He flew to Hawaii on Saturday to begin a week-long U.S. tour. 

Several hundred people gathered outside the Chinese vice president's hotel in New York - some to welcome him and others to protest Chinese rule over Tibet. A small number of protesters also greeted his arrival in Hawaii. 

Mr. Hu will fly to Washington on Tuesday for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Dick Cheney, and a White House meeting with President Bush on Wednesday. 

The 59-year-old Chinese vice president is expected to replace President Jiang Zemin as Communist Party chief this year, and as China's president next year. This visit to the United States marks his first real dealing in U.S.-China relations, which have been shaky in recent months. 

President Bush's Taiwan policy has sparked concern in Beijing. Last year, Mr. Bush signed off on a huge arms package for the island. And, last month, China was enraged when the United States allowed Taiwan's defense minister to attend an arms summit in the southern state of Florida. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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