WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush met at the White House Thursday morning for talks on issues ranging from Sino-U.S. relations to major international and regional issues.

Before they started talks, President Hu attended a welcoming ceremony on the White House South Lawn and was greeted with a 21-gun salute.

Speaking at a news briefing last Friday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Hu would exchange views with Bush and other U.S. senior officials on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern in a "profound way."

"We hope that Hu's visit will encourage both sides to examine the importance and necessity of developing the Sino-U.S. relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective," he said.

The Chinese president arrived in Washington Wednesday evening from Seattle. The United States is the first leg of Hu's current five-nation tour, which will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.

On Friday, President Hu will deliver a speech at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, before concluding his U.S. visit.