Egypt's new leader seeks balanced relations

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi is welcomed by his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in an official ceremony in Beijing.

Since being elected in June, Mursi has been seeking to introduce himself to the wider world ahead of a trip to Iran.

After the Tuesday cermony, the two leaders sat down for talks to discuss economic relations and the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Morsi will spend three days in the Chinese capital before attending a meeting of the Non-Aligned movement in Iran on Thursday.

The Islamist U.S. educated president told Reuters he would pursue a "balanced" foreign policy, reassuring Israel and the U.S., and hinting at a new approach to Iran.

He also called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's allies to help lever him out of power.