Days after hosting his colleagues for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, Chinese President Xi Jinping will fly across the equator Friday for a back-to-back gathering of world leaders.
In Australia's Brisbane, where the 9th Group of 20 (G20) Summit is to be held on Nov. 15-16, Xi will continue brainstorming with other leaders on ways to promote regional cooperation and achieve higher-level integrated development.
After that, he will pay state visits to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, where he is to meet with leaders from Pacific island countries that have established diplomatic ties with China.
PROMOTING GROWTH WITH CHINA'S CONTRIBUTION
The upcoming trip will mark the second time for Xi to attend the G20 Summit, which is a crucial international forum to discuss global economic affairs.
In Beijing, APEC member economies have spoken in one voice on boosting economic growth and enhancing connectivity, including pooling support for the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as well as a Silk Road Fund.
They also vowed to work for the formulation of the APEC Blueprint on Connectivity to provide a strong backing for the Asia-Pacific's long-term development.
In Brisbane, G20 members, which account for two-thirds of the world's population, 90 percent of the world's GDP and 80 percent of international trade, are expected to put the revival of global economic growth high on agenda once again.
Meanwhile, strengthening risk resistance ability, intensifying global anti-corruption and judicial cooperation and reinforcing the joint efforts against Ebola will also be the highlights.
"As its overall national strength grows, China will be both capable and willing to provide more public goods for the Asia-Pacific and the world, especially new initiatives and visions for enhancing regional cooperation," Xi said in his speech at the APEC CEO Summit.
He also sketched out a full picture of the Chinese economy's "new normal," which features an economy shifting gear from high to a medium-to-high speed growth and increasingly driven by innovation instead of input and investment, with its structure being constantly improved and upgraded.
The International Monetary Fund has kept its growth forecast for China at 7.4 percent for 2014, noting that China will contribute 27.8 percent to the world's total growth this year, and 50 percent to that of Asia.
As China strives to build an open economic system through comprehensively deepening reforms, countries worldwide should be at ease that they can continue sharing China's growth bonus. ' China has been supporting the G20 in playing a bigger role in global economic governance, and has been offering constructive proposals.
According to Treasurer of Australia Joe Hockey, G20 members have made a lot of suggestions to increase global GDP by an additional 2 percent by 2018, including some encouraging ones from China.
China introduced to the G20 the idea of "staying together and working closely for win-win situation," promoted issues relating to developing countries' demands, and fulfilled its promise in implementation, said Zhu Jiejin, a professor with the Center for BRICS Studies at Fudan University.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has also said China has played an active role in global governance in recent years.
DEVELOPING TIES, ENHANCING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COOPERATION
Xi's visits to Australia and New Zealand, both important cooperative partners of China, will enhance mutual trust, and expand and deepen practical cooperation between China and the two countries.
Xi will be the first Chinese head of state to visit Australia in seven years. China and Australia boast extensive and significant common interests and huge potential for cooperation.
Currently, China is Australia's largest trade partner and export destination. The two sides have been pushing forward with a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to lift bilateral cooperation in such areas as economy, investment and agriculture to higher levels and promote China-Australia relations and the development of regional economic integration.
Xi will deliver a keynote speech and witness the signing of a series of agreements between the two sides during his stay in Australia.
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Ma Zhaoxu described the visit as of milestone significance, saying it will enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation and strengthen friendship between China and Australia, and lift their strategic partnership to a new level.
At the same time, relations between China and New Zealand are at its best in history.
New Zealand was the first Western country to sign and implement an FTA with China, and the 2008 deal brought bilateral political, economic and trade ties to a new height.
China has become New Zealand's largest trade partner, largest export market and largest source of overseas students.
It is the first state visit to New Zealand by a Chinese head of state in 11 years. Xi is expected to witness the signing of a number of cooperation documents between the two sides during his tour to New Zealand.
Jason Young, with the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Center, said he hopes that the two countries can make their bilateral partnership a paradigm for peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation between countries of different social systems, cultures and at various development stages.
COOPERATING WITH PACIFIC ISLAND STATES FOR COMMON DEVELOPMENT
Pacific islands are important members of the developing countries camp.
Proposed by China, the first China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum was held in Fiji in April 2006, with the aim of boosting trade and economic cooperation and common development.
From then to 2013, bilateral trade between China and the Pacific islands has scored an annual average growth rate of 27.2 percent, with total direct investment rising by an average of 63.9 percent per year.
The upcoming visit will be Xi's first to the Pacific islands, during which he will meet leaders from eight island states. Experts from these states said Xi's visit will set a milestone in the development of bilateral ties.
China has prioritized environment protection in its cooperation with these nations, helped them develop a range of hydroelectric, solar and other renewable energy projects, and offered them substantial aid in saving energy and protecting environment.
Such sincere assistance has benefited local people and enhanced sustainable growth of green economy in the region.
Observers say China, a major economic and development cooperation partner of the Pacific island countries, is playing a more and more important role in the South Pacific region, and has made significant contributions to enhancing these states' development.
