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Chinese President Hu Jintao Impressed With Chicago (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: Chinese President Hu Jintao Tours Chicago
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CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago's mayor courted Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday during a whirlwind visit that included a tour of a local high school and stop at a business expo in an effort to boost economic ties between the world's second-largest economy and companies in Chicago and elsewhere in the Midwest.

"We in Chicago, we in the region, we in the Midwest want to act as a gateway for Chinese business investment into America, and at the same time we want to make sure that our businesses are a gateway into China as well," Daley said after squiring Hu to the expo where about a dozen Chinese businesses with operations in the Midwest had set up exhibits to show off their companies.

Hu was apparently impressed.

"These businesses have injected fresh momentum into the American economy and created jobs here. The Chinese government will continue to encourage our companies to do business and make investments here," Hu said through a translator.

Read more about the visit here.

Check out photos of Hu's Chicago trip here:

Hu Jintao In Chicago
Students wait for the arrival of Chicago(01 of03)
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Students wait for the arrival of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chinese President Hu Jintao at Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago, Illinois on January 21, 2011. During a speech to political and business leaders in the Windy City, Hu urged the United States to ease restrictions on high-tech exports to China. AFP PHOTO/Peter Wynn Thompson (Photo credit should read PETER WYNN THOMPSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) says goo(02 of03)
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Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) says goodbye to his Chicago hosts at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on January 21, 2011. President Hu Jintao basked Friday in a warm welcome from young people in Chicago as he tried to show a more human side to the rising Asian power during an often contentious state visit. AFP PHOTO/Peter Wynn Thompson (Photo credit should read PETER WYNN THOMPSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
US Ambassador to China Jon Jon Huntsman(03 of03)
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US Ambassador to China Jon Jon Huntsman (C) and other dignitaries watch as Chinese President Hu Jintao's plane leaves O'Hare International Airport in Chicago,Illinois on January 21, 2011. President Hu Jintao basked Friday in a warm welcome from young people in Chicago as he tried to show a more human side to the rising Asian power during an often contentious state visit. AFP PHOTO/Peter Wynn Thompson (Photo credit should read PETER WYNN THOMPSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

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