Hu arrives in US for UN meeting, G20 summit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-21 23:45

NEW YORK: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived here Monday for a UN climate change summit and other UN meetings. He will also attend a financial summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in Pittsburgh scheduled for September 24-25.

President Hu will attend a UN climate change summit in New York on Tuesday, address the general debate of the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly Wednesday, and participate in a Security Council summit on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament on Thursday, said Chinese Foreign Ministry officials.

In a note to heads of state and government regarding the summit, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "the objective of the Summit on Climate Change, which I am convening on September 22, is to mobilize the political will and vision needed to reach an ambitious outcome based on science at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen."

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Hu's Visit -- New York, Pittsburgh

"I hope that cooperation between and among developed and developing countries can be strengthened, and that the political impetus for a successful deal in Copenhagen will be made manifestly clear to all participants," he said.

Tuesday's summit is just 10 weeks before world leaders gather in Copenhagen in December to negotiate and try to seal a treaty on climate change after the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

"At the meeting, President Hu will call for stronger international efforts on climate change and introduce new measures that China is taking," China's Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei told a press briefing last week.

"The president will fully elaborate on China's stance and proposals on climate change and what China is doing about it," He said.

The vice minister expressed the hope that "the summit would send a positive signal," emphasizing joint efforts to make the Copenhagen conference a success.

During the general debate of the UN General Assembly Wednesday, Hu is expected to elaborate on China's stand on major global and regional issues.

In his speech, President Hu will outline China's ideas about how to safeguard world peace, boost common development, promote mutual benefit and seek harmonious co-existence, said Chinese Foreign Ministry officials.

On Thursday, President Hu will attend a special session of the UN Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, which is proposed and chaired by US President Barack Obama.

"The session will focus on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament broadly, and not on any particular countries," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said on September 2.

Chinese diplomats said that President Hu will elaborate on China's ideas of realizing common security through a win-win approach to mutual benefits.

Hu will put forward China's propositions on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, peaceful use of nuclear power, nuclear security and other issues concerning the international community, they said.

Following the UN meetings, President Hu will fly to Pittsburgh for the G20 summit.

At the summit, Hu and leaders of other G20 members will review the progress made since the Washington and London summits and discuss further actions to assure a sound and sustainable recovery from the global financial and economic crisis.

"The Pittsburgh summit is an important opportunity to continue the hard work that we have done in confronting the global economic crisis, and renewing prosperity for our people," Obama said on September 8.

"Together, we will review the progress we have made, assess what more needs to be done, and discuss what we can do together to lay the groundwork for balanced and sustainable economic growth," he added.

The Pittsburgh summit is the third since the ones in Washington last November and in London in April this year.

The G20 was formally established in 1999 to bring together major developed and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy.

The G20 consists of China, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Britain, the United States, and the European Union.

China expects the summit to achieve positive results in macroeconomic policy coordination, reform of international financial organization, development and measures against protectionism, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He.