President Mubarak on an Asian tour

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak left Cairo on Sunday for Beijing, China which constitutes the first stop on his Asian tour which will also lead him to Japan and South Korea.

President Mubarak's visit to Beijing will last until Friday. He will hold there talks with his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin, on the Middle East peace process and the financial crisis in Asia.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said China is a major power and plays a key role not only in Asia but in Africa and in other parts of the world in its capacity as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry has described President Mubarak's visit to China, the first since April 1994, as of great importance.