Hu garners good reviews for stopover in Chicago

President Hu Jintao was in Chicago for less than 24 hours but his choice of the Midwestern city as a second stop appeared to have hit the right note with Americans.

In the national news cycle, Hu's visit to Chicago has receded from front page to opinion pages, even in local papers. But the reports have mostly portrayed it in a positive light, and saw it as recognition of a rising Chicago - a traditional industrial rust-belt city turned sleek financial and cultural centre.

The two main purposes of the Chicago leg were to make contact with many key US enterprises that are based there and tout Chinese enterprises doing business in the US that have created jobs for Americans.

'There are many Chinese businesses that have chosen to locate in the Chicago region, and we appreciate their decision to do so,' Mayor Richard Daley said at an exhibition set up by China General Chamber of Commerce-USA featuring nine Chinese companies doing business in the city, from car parts maker Wanxiang America Corporation to Huawei Technologies and China Telecom (Americas).

'Our long-range goal is to make Chicago the most China-friendly city in the United States,' he said.

While business ties were highlighted, Hu's visit to Walter Payton Preparatory High School could easily have been the highlight of the trip for both him and the audience. At the school he was treated to performances by pupils including a choir and a Chinese handkerchief dance.

The school is also home to the largest Confucius Institute - a Chinese-government-backed organisation aimed at promoting Chinese language and culture.