Chinese president visits Mozart residence in Austria

Chinese President Hu Jintao continued his state visit to Austria Tuesday and toured Mozart's residence in Salzburg and a farm outside the city. Art can serve as a bridge for communication and a messenger of friendship between different peoples, Hu said during his visit to the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on Tuesday afternoon. Hu expressed the hope that China and Austria could strengthen cultural exchanges. Mozart, known for his gift for music, produced more than 600 works, including symphonies, operas, concertos and quartets. His music is heard around the world today. Earlier Tuesday, Hu toured a farm near Salzburg. Hu was informed of the operations of the farm run by the Joseph Haas family, which produces 610 tons of milk annually. Hu and his wife, Liu Yongqing, chatted with the Haas family. On Tuesday evening, Hu attended a welcome dinner held in his honor by Sulzburg Governor Gabi Burgstaller and Sulzburg City Mayor Heinz Schaden. Burgstaller said that the Sulzburg State welcomes Hu's visit and the state is willing to step up the friendly cooperation with provinces and cities of China and play an active role in enhancing the friendly relations between Austria and China. Hu arrived in Salzburg Monday evening from Vienna, where he held talks with his Austrian counterpart, Heinz Fischer, and met Chancellor Werner Faymann and other Austrian leaders on strengthening bilateral ties. Following his trip to Austria, Hu will fly to France to attend a summit of the Group of 20, slated for Thursday and Friday in Cannes.