Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Bali, Indonesia, from November 14 to 17, at the invitation of President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the announcement on Friday.
He will attend the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as visit Thailand from November 17 to 19, at the invitation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of the Kingdom of Thailand, Hua said.
At a regular press briefing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the G20 Summit is the first multilateral summit that President Xi will attend after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
In the face of a once-in-a-century pandemic, Zhao said the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with the global economy facing a downturn and the cause of global development facing multiple challenges.
As a major forum for international economic cooperation, the G20 Summit should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, coordinate macroeconomic policy and jointly promote the growth of the global economy that is strong, sustainable, inclusive, peaceful and balanced, said Zhao.
Supporting the work of the Indonesian Presidency, China hopes all parties will focus on the theme of "Recover Together, Recover Stronger," and build a consensus and boost cooperation in the fields of promoting global economic recovery and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Zhao said.
Noting that the economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region is facing new challenges, Zhao said President Xi will deliver an important speech at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, which will expound China's proposition on deepening Asia-Pacific cooperation and promoting regional and global economic growth.
"We expect all parties to uphold the building of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, deepen solidarity and cooperation and boost the implementation of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, aimed at injecting new impetus into the Asia-Pacific and global economic development," Zhao told the press.
According to Hua, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, President Xi will hold bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Joe Biden, Senegalese President Macky Sall and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, among others, upon request.
Regarding the meeting between President Xi Jinping and his counterpart Joe Biden, Zhao said maintaining the stable development of China-U.S. relations serves the interests of both sides and is expected by all countries.
"We hope the U.S. can work with China in the same direction in the spirit of mutual respect, and play a responsible role in safeguarding global stability and development," Zhao added.
(With input from Xinhua)
(Cover: The logo of the G20 Summit is shown in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 8, 2022. /CFP)