On June 9, 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for Chinese and foreign media. Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui and Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei introduced President Hu Jintao's upcoming attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Yekaterinburg and the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) Leaders' Meeting as well as his state visit to Russia, Slovakia and Croatia. Director General Ma Zhaoxu of the Information Department hosted the briefing, which was attended by more than 100 Chinese and foreign journalists as well as officials of foreign embassies in China.

Li Hui announced that Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the 9th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Yekaterinburg and pay a state visit to Russia, Slovakia and Croatia, at the invitation of President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev of the Russian Federation, President Ivan Gašparovič of the Slovak Republic and President Stjepan Mesić of the Republic of Croatia, from June 14 to 20. This will be a major diplomatic event of China. Currently, international and regional situations keep undergoing profound and complex changes, and the international financial crisis is still sprawling. Countries all over the world are looking forward with keen interest to deepening cooperation and tackling the crisis with joined hands. Against this backdrop, President Hu's visit to Eurasia and the Central & Eastern Europe is of great importance to promoting the continuous and smooth development of the SCO, cementing China's good-neighborliness and mutual trust with SCO members and observers, boosting the long-term sound and steady development of China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership, deepening China's traditional friendship with Slovakia and Croatia, maintaining international and regional security and stability, jointly coping with various challenges, and promoting the building of a harmonious region featured by lasting peace and common prosperity.

Talking about the SCO summit, Li said that despite the complicated and ever-changing international and regional situations, the SCO has maintained good momentum of development, and is playing an increasingly important constructive role in safeguarding the common interests of its members, ensuring regional security and stability, and promoting common development. SCO members are now more united, and are having more mutual trust and closer strategic cooperation, offering one another greater and greater support on major core issues bearing on independence, sovereignty and security, with the security cooperation going deeper and deeper. The economic and trade ties among the member states are brought closer, cooperation potentials are further unleashed, and cooperation in the fields of transportation, communications and agriculture is progressing steadily. Remarkable achievements have been made in the cooperation in science, technology, culture, education, emergency response, disaster relief and other humanistic areas. External exchanges are more active, cooperation with observers has entered the concrete stage, and the establishment of the dialogue partners mechanism and the successful convocation of the first special international conference on Afghanistan have manifested the SCO's willingness to engage in extensive cooperation with the international community and its highly responsible attitude of working together to boost peace, stability and development in the region.

The mandate of this summit is to ensure the full implementation of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, further deepen political, security, economic and humanistic cooperation, jointly cope with the negative impact of the financial crisis, boost the early recovery of the regional economy and improvement of people's livelihood, consolidate regional security and stability, and promote the building of a harmonious region of lasting peace and common prosperity.

Li noted that leaders of SCO members will take full stock of the developments of the organization over the past year, have an in-depth analysis of the current situations facing it, and make deployment and planning concerning the further deepening of political, security, economic and humanistic cooperation and the expansion of external exchanges. Leaders attending the summit will mainly exchange views on the following issues: 1) consolidating members' unity and collaboration, and enhancing mutual political trust; 2) advancing trade and investment facilitation among members, and promoting regional economic recovery; 3) cracking down on the "three forces", drug-trafficking and cross-border organized crime, and maintaining regional security. Heads of state of SCO members will jointly sign and release a Yekaterinburg Declaration, a joint communiqué, and other relevant documents. It is believed that with the concerted efforts of all the relevant parties, the Yekaterinburg Summit will definitely be a great success and become another milestone meeting in the development process of the organization.

Li said that President Hu will pay a state visit to Russia from June 16 to 18. Russia is an important strategic cooperative partner of China. Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership has kept good momentum, witnessing comprehensive and rapid development since a smooth transition was secured last year. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, and is set as the Year of Russian Language in China. China-Russia relations are standing at a new historical starting point. Top-level exchanges between the two sides have been frequent, mutual political trust has been strengthened constantly, and both have accorded each other firm support on issues bearing on their respective core interests. The practical cooperation between the two countries has scored fruitful achievements, with the bilateral trade volume reaching a record high of 56.83 billion U.S. dollars last year. The signing of the inter-governmental agreement on petroleum cooperation between the two sides in the past April marked a historic breakthrough in the energy cooperation between the two countries. The two sides have also made positive headway in the practical cooperation in nuclear energy, transportation, science, technology, aerospace, etc.. Building on the successful completion of the program titled the Year of China in Russia and the Year of Russia in China, another program, titled the Year of Russian Language in China and the Year of Chinese Language in Russia, has got a smooth start, and over 260 events for the Year of Russian Language are now in full swing in China, which will lead to another culmination of the humanistic cooperation between the two sides. With the international situations undergoing profound and complex changes and the financial crisis keeping sprawling, China and Russia have conducted close communication and collaboration on major international and regional issues such as the reform of the United Nations, the reform of the international financial system, the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsular and in Iran, making important contributions to world peace and stability.

This will be President Hu's first state visit to Russia since the succession of Russian administration last year, and the most important bilateral exchange event within the framework of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both sides attaches great importance to and have made considerable preparations for it in the hope that this visit will achieve the following purposes: 1) strengthen mutual political trust, and ensure the two sides continue offering each other firm support on major issues bearing on territorial integrity, sovereignty, development and strategic security so as to cement the political foundation for the bilateral relations; 2) enhance strategic cooperation, effectively adapt to the changed international situations, actively participate in the reform of the international political and economic order, promote the multi-polarization of the world and the democratization of international relations, and maintain international strategic equilibrium and stability; 3) deepen practical cooperation, and join forces in addressing the financial crisis in order to consolidate the material foundation for the bilateral relations; 4) expand cooperation in humanistic fields, make full use of the opportunity presented by celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties and the program of Year of Each Other's Language to make extensive publicity for the Sino-Russian friendship passed on from generation to generation, tighten the bond of exchanges and cooperation between the two peoples, and carry forward the friendship between the two nations.

During the visit, President Hu will hold talks with President Medvedev, and attend the celebration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia. He will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov and State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov. Leaders of the two countries will take full stock of the development process of Sino-Russian relations over the past six decades which will have significant impact on the future in our bilateral ties, exchange views thoroughly on practical cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, energy, science and technology as well as local cooperation and cooperation in the humanistic sectors, ways of tiding over the international financial crisis, and major international and regional issues, and come up with forward-looking and guiding recommendations for the furtherance of the bilateral relations and cooperation in important areas amid the current situations. The two sides are also planning to release a Joint Communiqué of China-Russia Heads of State and sign a series of bilateral cooperation documents. It is believed that President Hu's visit to Russia will further boost the mutual political trust and strategic cooperation between the two countries, deepen the practical cooperation in all areas, promote the further development of the friendship between the two peoples passed on from generation to generation, and foster the long-term sound and steady development of China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership in the changed situations.

Li announced that President Hu will pay a state visit to Slovakia from June 18 to 19. Slovakia is an important country in Central & Eastern Europe, and has maintained traditional friendship with China. This year marks the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Slovakia. Over the past six decades, bilateral relations between the two countries have witnessed steady development. In recent years, top-level contacts between the two nations have been frequent. The economic and trade cooperation has scored remarkable achievements, with the bilateral trade volume hitting one after another record high. Exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the fields of education, culture, science and technology have been going smoothly. Sino-Slovak relations are now in the best shape. The fact that President Hu will pay his first state visit to Slovakia on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries has fully embodied the great importance China attaches to relations with Slovakia. It is believed that this visit will further boost the mutual understanding and friendship between the two sides and push forward the comprehensive development of the bilateral cooperation in all areas. During the visit, President Hu will hold talks with President Gašparovič, and meet with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Speaker of the National Council Pavol Paska respectively. During the talks and meetings, the two sides will take stock of the development process of the bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago, make an overall plan for future development, and exchange views on international and regional issues of common interest. The heads of state of the two countries will also attend the power breakfast for Sino-Slovak entrepreneurs.

Li further announced that, upon invitation, President Hu will also pay a state visit to Croatia from June 19 to 20. This will be the first visit paid by a Chinese president to Croatia since the establishment of the diplomatic ties 17 years ago. It is believed that this visit will exert important and far-reaching influence on the consolidation of China-Croatia traditional friendship and the deepening of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in all areas, marking an important milestone in the development of their bilateral relations. Croatian enjoys traditional friendship with China. Over the past 17 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have been developing steadily. In particular, since the establishment of the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two countries in 2005, the two sides have kept frequent top-level exchanges, mutual political trust has been strengthened, practical cooperation in all areas is in full swing, and the two sides have maintained good cooperation in international affairs. During the visit, President Hu will hold talks and meetings with Croatian leaders, including talks with President Mesić and meetings with Speaker of the Parliament Luka Bebić and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader respectively, and exchange views with them on relations between the two nations as well as international and regional issues of common interest. The two sides will sign a series of important cooperation documents covering the fields of economy, trade, health, aviation, etc.. It is believed that President Hu's visit will definitely be a great success and promote the Sino-Croatian comprehensive cooperative partnership to go deeper.

He Yafei introduced President Hu's upcoming attendance at the BRIC Leaders' Meeting slated for June 16 in Yekaterinburg.

He said that according to the arrangements of Russia, the host country, BRIC leaders will mainly attend 4 events, i.e. the small-circle talks, the big-circle talks, the joint meeting with journalists and the working dinner, totally 5 hours. This will be the first formal meeting of BRIC leaders, who will mainly exchange views on such major issues as the international financial crisis, the progressing of the G-21 Summit, the reform of international financial institutions, food security, energy security, climate change, development assistance, Heiligendamm Process and the future development of the BRIC dialogue.

He pointed out that all the four BRIC countries are important emerging markets, and share similar views on many international and regional issues. In recent years, they have witnessed fast economic growth and rising international position. The four countries boast of unique advantages from the perspectives of land area, population, resources, and market. The total area of the four countries accounts for 26% of the world total, and the population 42%. According to IMF statistics, from 2006 to 2008, the average economic growth rate of the four countries reached 10.7%. All of them exert important influence in international affairs.

He noted that in recent years, BRIC dialogue and cooperation has been constantly enhanced. The four countries exchange views frequently on major issues in international economic and development fields, and have been strengthening their cooperation, which helps enable emerging markets and developing countries to have a bigger voice and bigger influence as a whole, and is conducive to the development of multilateralism. With the international financial crisis yet to bottom out, cooperation among these four countries is particularly important, which is not only beneficial to themselves, in line with the common aspirations and interests of the international community, but also helpful for the early recovery of the world economy. China will attend the meeting with a positive and constructive posture, and hopes that the meeting will make achievements in the following aspects: 1) expand the strategic consensus among the four countries, and enhance strategic mutual trust; 2) actively coordinate stances on how to cope with the financial crisis, and make joint contributions to the recovery of the world economy; 3) make planning for the future orientation of BRIC dialogue and cooperation to push forward the constant development of their cooperation along the path of sound and steady development.

Li and He also answered questions from journalists regarding SCO security cooperation, China-Russia energy cooperation, China-Croatia relations, relations between China and South-Eastern European countries, and the topics of discussion for the BRIC Leaders' Meeting.