Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the opening ceremony of the Group of 20 (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting and make a keynote speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan announced in Beijing Friday.

 

The ministers and bank officials will convene in China from October 15 to 16.

 

The G20 was founded in 1999 in Berlin as an informal arena to foster dialogue between major industrial and emerging economies.

 

Its members are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the UK, Turkey, and the US, as well as representatives from the IMF and World Bank.

 

It is the first time for China to host the G20 meeting, Kong said, adding that the theme would be "enhancing global cooperation and promoting global economic development in balance and order."

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2005)