We kick things off in Osaka, Japan where Chinese President Xi Jinping has already held talks with world leaders ahead of the G20 summit that officially opens on Friday. He met with the leaders of China's two important trade partners in Asia -- South Korea and Japan. Of course, many are anticipating Xi's meeting with US President Donald Trump amid ongoing trade tensions. Here's CGTN's Zheng Yibing from Osaka.

ZHENG YIBING OSAKA "Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Japan on Thursday and it marks his 7th consecutive year in participation in the G20 Summit. He soon talked with world leaders, including the president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."

He had a working dinner with Abe, marking the latest high point in a yearslong effort to repair ties between China and Japan.

And according to a press conference by G20 organizer, two leaders were invited by Abe himself. One was EU president, and the other is President Xi Jinping. The gesture is part of efforts undertaken by the Abe administration in recent years to further improve relations between Tokyo and Beijing.

Xi will join early on Friday in an informal meeting on financial and economic issues with the other heads of the state and government of BRICS countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.

He then will join with G20 members at the summit in Osaka on promoting global trade growth, advancing world economic development, improving global governance and coping with risks and challenges.

And last but not the least, he will have a meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday.

Both are widely expected to use the summit as an opportunity to start talking again after negotiations broke off abruptly in May. Zheng Yibing, CGTN, in Osaka, Japan.