`China to be more active in international affairs'

Beijing, March 9 (IANS) China will be more actively involved in international affairs and play its due role to make the international system more just and equitable, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Saturday.

"China has participated in and contributed to the building of the international system, and we will be more actively involved in international affairs," he said in Beijing.

He said that as the world multi-polarity, economic globalization and science and technology advancement gather momentum, countries have become more interdependent with their interests more closely entwined, reported Xinhua.

"We all live in a global village. As we travel, we can only sit together as passengers in the same boat rather than try to crowd each other out," he told the press conference held on the sidelines of the annual session of the country's national legislature.

"Compared with what we had last century, we believe that the international multi-lateral system in the 21st century should become more representative, more just and more result-oriented," he said.

He said that China will host the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders' Meeting next year.

"All preparations are well underway," he added.

He said China also supports multi-lateral meetings to be held this year, including the summit of G20 in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

"We support Russia and Indonesia in making these two important summits successful so as to contribute to the world economic recovery," he said.

"We hope the G20 and its summit will focus on growth and employment, continue to push forward the reform in international financial system, improve multi-lateral trading regime and address development issue on a priority basis," he said.

"We hope the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will make committed efforts to promote sustainable and fair growth, push forward regional connectivity, and advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, as well as economic technological cooperation, in a balanced manner," he said.