For the first time in 15 years, China's head of state will visit Singapore and Malaysia to allegedly sign a number of agreements and discuss trade protectionism.

President Hu Jintao will visit Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, today and head to Singapore on Wednesday. His visit to Singapore will wrap up with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from Nov 14 to 15. Experts have hailed Hu's visit as a milestone in bridging closer relations with Malaysia and Singapore.

The summit gathers 21 Pacific Rim members to discuss regional development.

Hu is expected to push for China's viewpoints on reviving the global economy and joining together against trade protectionism.

Hu's visit to Kuala Lumpur follows Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's June trip to Beijing. It was Najib's first trip outside Southeast Asia after taking office in April.

Diplomatic ties were made between the two sides in 1974. Malaysia is now China's largest trade partner among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Hu will also hold talks with Malaysian Supreme Head of State, Mizan Zainal Abidin, during his stay in the country.

"President Hu's visit to Malaysia will surely further deepen strategic cooperation between the two nations," said Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue.

The two countries are expected to work out how to implement a "joint action plan of strategic cooperation" initiated during Najib's June visit, according to Zhang Xuegang, associate professor with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Details of the potential deals were not provided but Vice-Minister of Commerce Yi Xiaozhun said the joint projects center on infrastructure.

The Singapore visit is equally important to Hu and to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In an interview with Xinhua on Sunday, the Singaporean leader emphasized the importance of Hu's visit.

"China is now one of our most important trading partners. In economic relations, generally, tourism, we have nearly 1 million visitors a year from China now. And many Singaporeans visit China every year. We have significant investments in each other's countries. We have a lot of people working in each other's countries," he said.

He Yafei, vice-minister of foreign affairs, said China hoped the APEC summit will gather opposition to trade protectionism and support to the Doha Development Round negotiation, which attempts to lower trade barriers around the world. The summit will also discuss the Bogor Goals, signed in 1994 by APEC leaders with the aim of opening investment in Asia-Pacific. Leaders set 2010 as the target year for industrialized economies to achieve free trade and investment.

China, one of the major global targets of trade protectionism, is expected to send a strong signal that it opposes protectionist measures in any form, analysts say.

Last week, the United States Commerce Department charged preliminary anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made steel pipes, affecting Chinese exports that were worth approximately $3.2 billion last year.

He Yafei said that during the APEC economic leaders' meeting, Hu will explain China's propositions on dealing with the international financial crisis and securing economic recovery, while sharing with other leaders the government's position on issues such as climate change, food and energy security, and APEC's future development.