China is playing a constructive and positive role in the world affairs both economically and politically and it will have a lot to offer and experience to share with other countries at the upcoming 2005 World Summit next week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday.

In a joint interview with China's Xinhua News Agency and the China Central Television six days before the summit, scheduled for September 14-16, Annan said China is a very important country in the world today.

Not just economically but also politically, he believed, it is important that Chinese President Hu Jintao joins all the leaders from around the world to review "how we improve our collective security, how we improve the non-proliferation issue, how we improve human rights, how we deal with development and help the poor."

"And one of the key issues at this conference is to look at and review what we have achieved in our efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the fight against poverty," Annan said, adding "I think President Hu and China have a lot to offer and experience to share with other leaders."

On the issue of economic development and the fight against poverty, the UN chief said China can make a major contribution by working with the developing countries, assisting them economically and sharing its experience with them. "I think that is the area where quite a lot of developing world are looking up to China," he said.

The secretary-general noted that in its efforts to implement the MDGs, outlined at the first World Summit in 2000, China has made huge progress. "China has lifted millions out of poverty through its economic growth, through the strength of its economy," he said.

"China obviously is an active player on the economic scene and rose fast in the world," he said, noting that China "also has been extremely successful in production, in marketing and in exporting its goods."

With an expanding economy, China, that is reaching out and trading with the rest of the world, is "a positive development for the world," Annan said.

"In fact, today most people will tell you that the force and strength with which the Chinese economy is great will have a positive impact in Asia and on quite a few other economies," he said.

"So, I think the issue should be cooperation amongst trading partners and trading powers, and constructive cooperation, not a standoff that will not be in anyone's interest," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2005)