Belgium's King Albert II (L) and Queen Paola pose for a photographer during a boat trip on the Li river which is the connecting waterway between Guilin and Yangshuo June 11, 2005. King Albert and Queen Paola concluded an eight-day state visit to China on Saturday afternoon. (Reuters photo)

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Belgian King Albert II concluded his eight-day state visit to China on Saturday afternoon after paying a short visit to Guilin, a scenic resort in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    The king said that his visit to China is fruitful and has helped expand bilateral cooperation between Belgium and China.

    Accompanied by Wang Yuefei, mayor of Guilin, King Albert II visited a local park that displays the culture of ethnic minorities in South China. He also enjoyed a cruise on the Lijiang River, which is famous for its natural beauty.

    King Albert II said that Guilin is a beautiful city whose culture and long history have impressed him.

    The Belgian king arrived in Beijing on June 4. This is the first visit to China by a Belgian head of state in the past 24 years.

    The king held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing. Apart from Beijing and Guilin, he also visited the cities of Xi'an, Shanghai and Suzhou.Enditem