Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in St. Petersburg Wednesday for the eighth summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

With a focus on growth and jobs, the upcoming summit will discuss world economic and financial situations, investment, trade, development and reform of the international monetary and financial system.

Xi, prior to his trip, said China supports the St. Petersburg summit to promote even closer partnerships among G20 members, strengthen their macro-economic policy coordination and jointly usher in a brighter future for the world economy.

China believes G20 members should adopt responsible macro-economic policies, uphold and promote greater openness in the world economy, work to improve global economic governance, and strive to be a development partner for developing countries, he added.

The Chinese president is expected to deliver a speech at the summit.

On the sidelines of the gathering, Xi will meet with some heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama, and leaders of international organizations. He will also attend an unofficial meeting of leaders of the BRICS, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Xi left Turkmenistan earlier in the day, the first stop of his ongoing overseas trip, which will take him to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as well.

He will also attend the 13th meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kyrgyzstan.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2013)