Finance Minister Jin Renqing will fly to London for a meeting between finance ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations plus China, India, Brazil and South Africa (G8 plus four) planned for next week.

 

According to a one-sentence statement released by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday, Jin will attend the meeting at the invitation of his UK counterpart, Chancellor Gordon Brown.

 

The ministers are reportedly scheduled to discuss global economy and development.

 

The UK currently holds the rotating G8 presidency and will host the G8 summit next month. China is serving as president of both the meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors, and of Asian and European finance ministers.

 

Jin and Brown have promised to coordinate efforts on matters concerning international development and global poverty reduction.

 

During Brown's visit to China in February, the two ministers said their countries should strive to realize the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

 

Brown set out a list of proposals to meet the goals, which were agreed in 2000 and include halving poverty and disease by 2015.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2005)