Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a 7-day state visit to Australia starting from September 3 and attend the 15th economic leaders' informal meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation there, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing on Monday.

Hu is to make his Australian visit as guest of Governor-General Michael Jeffery and Prime Minister John Howard.

During his stay, he will also attend the APEC economic leaders' informal meeting, due to be held in Sydney.

APEC is the the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

Since APEC's birth in 1989, it has grown to encompass 21 members spanning four continents, and represents about 40 percent of the world's population, 56 percent of global GDP and 48 percent of world trade.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2007)