Vice President Hu Jintao, widely tipped to be China's next leader, arrived here today for the first leg of a three-nation tour that will also take him to the United States.

Hu, accompanied by a 65-member delegation that includes Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, was greeted at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by acting foreign minister Mohamad Effendi Nawawi, officials said.

"The principal objective of the visit is to foster closer bilateral relations with Malaysia," the Malaysian foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said Hu's four-day visit would provide him with "a glimpse of Malaysia and the opportunities available."

From here, the low-profile communist cadre will move on to Singapore Friday and Saturday before heading to the United States in what will be his most significant appearance on the international stage so far.

The US visit - details of which remain sketchy - will give American leaders and the country's public a crucial first impression of the shadowy figure who may be in charge of the world's most populous nation for the next decade or more.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will host a dinner in honour of Hu later today.

Business council

On Wednesday, Hu will speak at a public forum on regional cooperation in Asia and witness the signing of a pact to set up a China-Malaysia joint business council.

He will hold an audience with King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin and visit Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest building, before meeting Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah at the Putrajaya administrative centre.

Mahathir is to host a private dinner for Hu at his official residence Wednesday.

The Chinese official will fly early Thursday to Penang - a hub of high-tech companies - for a short break, before leaving for Singapore the next morning.