(Photo : the Eight Leaders's Summit of the Group of Twenty (G20))

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia Wednesday (China time) to attend the eight Leaders's Summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) set on Thursday and Friday, China's state-media reported.

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The state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported that President Xi arrived in Russia after a visit in Turkmenistan earlier Wednesday. It is the first multilateral summit that the President has attended since he took office in March.

China Daily said the summit will give the Chinese President a rare opportunity to discuss bilateral economic issues with the G20 leaders. Sources said Xi will focus on reforms at the IMF, fight protectionism, and presenting China's economic development to fellow heads of government.

Central Asia Tour

President Xi left Turkmenistan for Russia earlier Wednesday and will be going to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for his ongoing overseas tour after the G20 Summit.

The G20, formally established in 1999, is the most prestigious form for international cooperation on global issues such economy and finance.  This year's G20 summit in Russia will be the 8^th meeting of the G20 heads of government. The summit will be held at St. Petersburg's Constantine Palace on September 5 and 6.

Members of the G20 represent nearly 80 per cent of the world's economy.  Last year's G20 summit was held in Mexico.

It was also attended by then Chinese President Hu Jintao. Also among those who attended were US President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, British Prime Minister Davide Cameron, Brazil President Dilma Rouseff, among others.

Turkmenistan Partnership

Meanwhile, in Turkmenistan, President Xi and President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov jointly signed a declaration that lifts bilateral ties to a strategic economic partnership.

According to China Daily, Xi's visit in Turkmenistan is a move to further boost China's cooperation and paves the way for a deeper relationship with the Central Asian country.