On July 7, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido, for the Outreach Session of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit, slated for July 9 in the northern Japanese resort of Toyako. In Sapporo, President Hu will attend a group meeting with leaders from India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico. The Chinese president will also attend the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change.

At 20: 40, local time, President Hu's special plane landed at Sapporo New Chitose Airport, where he was warmly welcomed by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Hokkaido's local officials.

Accompanying officials including Ling Jihua, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Huning, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) and Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, and State Councilor Dai Bingguo arrived by the same plane.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai and the staff of the embassy also greeted Hu and his entourage at the airport.

At the Outreach Session of the G8 Summit, leaders of the Group of Eight major industrialized nations, China and other countries invited to the meeting, will discuss such issues as the world economy, climate change, food security and the UN Millennium Development Goals. On the sidelines of the G8 outreach session, President Hu is expected to meet some leaders participating in the event.

This is the fifth time for President Hu to attend the G8 outreach session since G8 Evian Summit 2003, G8 Gleneagles Summit 2005, G8 Saint Petersburg Summit 2006 and G8 Heiligendamm Summit 2007.