Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the Seattle area May 18, 2006, to meet with business leaders eager for a bigger share of China's markets before he heads to Washington for talks with politicians wary of his nation's muscular stance in trade, energy and currency policy.

At Microsoft Corporation's Redmond campus, Hu said he admired what Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates had achieved. He also sought to reassure Gates that China is serious about protecting intellectual property rights, a key concern for the company as it battles widespread piracy of its Windows operating system there.