China is expecting positive results from the first meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in London.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei on Monday confirmed Hu's meeting with Obama. He said they will discuss a wide range of topics including bilateral ties, joint actions to fight the global financial crisis and other issues of common concern.
Hu is also scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and other foreign state leaders, according to He.
Besides addressing the summit, Hu will attend a banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II and three working dinners held by Gordon Brown.
China endeavors to push for positive and pragmatic results out of the upcoming London summit, He added.
Besides G20 members, leaders from the Netherlands, Spain, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Financial Security Forum will also participate in the summit.
They will focus on such subjects as enhancing the coordination of macroeconomic policies, strengthening international finance supervision and stabilizing international finance market, as well as reforming international financial institutions.
He said China hopes parties concerned would enhance solidarity, gather consensus and seek win-win situation, so as to stimulate the confidence of the market and people. He said the upcoming summit is also expected to push concerned parties to continue drawing up economic stimulus packages based on their own conditions.
Meanwhile, China hopes substantive progress could be made in international financial institution reform, in particular, giving greater say to emerging markets and developing countries, said He. Specific roadmaps and timetables should be made accordingly, he added.
He reiterated China's opposition to trade protectionism, calling for the summit to promote all-round and balanced progress of the Doha talks and especially, give more trade support to developing countries.
China is concerned with the issue of development, He said, hoping that assistance to the developing countries would not be reduced due to tackling the financial crisis.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Jean Ping, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Surin Pitsuwan were invited to attend the summit.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2009)
