Obama to attend G20 Summit

Leaders of the US and Canada will participate in the G20 — to be hosted by China for the first time — in early September.

US President Barack Obama will travel to China to attend the G20 and Laos from Sept 2-9, the White House announced on Thursday.

In China, Obama will participate in his final G20 Leaders' Summit, where he will emphasize the need to continue building on the progress made since 2009 in advancing strong, sustainable and balanced global economic growth. 

He will underscore the importance of G20 cooperation in promoting a level-playing field and broad-based economic opportunity.

Obama will also conduct in-depth meetings with President Xi Jinping in Hangzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang province, where the G20 will be held. The two leaders will discuss a wide-range of global, regional and bilateral issues, according to the White House.

This trip will highlight Obama's ongoing commitment to the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation as well as the US rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, said the White House.

This is the President's 11th trip to Asia since taking office in 2009. Obama will be the first US president to visit Laos, where he will participate in the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that he will travel to China for an official visit from Aug 30 to Sept 6 at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang.

During the official visit, Trudeau will also participate in the G20 Leaders' Summit on Sept 4 and 5 in Hangzhou.

At the Hangzhou Summit, G20 leaders will consider measures to lift global economic growth and investment, create jobs, strengthen the middle class, reinforce the resilience of the global financial system and increase trade and investment.

Canada welcomes the agenda brought forward by China as this year's G20 host, which encourages members to work together towards an innovative, interconnected and inclusive world economy.

"Canada firmly believes in the work of the G20 and its ability to promote strong, sustainable, and inclusive global growth and prosperity. We place great importance on working with our G20 partners to help address some of the world's most pressing challenges, like climate change, migration and sustainable development," Trudeau said.

This official visit, which includes stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hong Kong, will provide an opportunity for the Canadian prime minister to connect with Chinese leaders in government, business and the public.

 "Strengthening our relationship with China is essential to growing our middle class, and creating new opportunities for Canadian businesses," Trudeau said. "On this trip, I will strive for a closer, more balanced relationship between Canada and China."

Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on US-China Relations, said in an interview with Xinhua that as the host G20, China has the opportunity to set the tone and agenda for the meeting and help all participants reach important consensus.

It is "very much up to China" whether the G20 Summit can produce some really encouraging outcome, said Orlins. "I think China is going to need to lead. I think China in a lot of ways can lead," he said.

"I think China being the host of the G20 is very much kind of a statement that China is now one of the most important economies in the world, and it is terrific that it is being able to do it," said Orlins.

Orlins said that he believes the world needs to seek new growth engines from innovation and clean industries, and that China as a global leader in both fields should steer the Hangzhou summit to achieve some breakthroughs.

"We need to see more innovation that can be shared globally, and we need to see more movement towards industries which emit less carbon. I hope that's what comes out of the G20," he said. "With China as the host, it has the opportunity to set the tone and the agenda."

Orlins also expressed confidence that the G20 Summit could help deepen mutual understanding between China and the US and boost bilateral ties.

"Every time that an American president visits China, it is a benefit to US-China relations. Every time that a Chinese president and an American president meet, it is a benefit to US-China relations," said Orlins.