China encouraged to play global role

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he is looking forward to speaking with Chinese government officials and young Chinese on their collective involvement in world affairs, as one of the top issues on his agenda ahead of his arrival in Beijing today.

The UN chief said he hopes China will work more closely with the UN on global issues, including the environment.

"As the most populous country and fastest-growing economy, China has a global responsibility now," Ban said in an interview last week with New York-based journalists from major Chinese media organizations.