China to host 14th SCO prime ministers' meeting

China is set to host the 14th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) prime ministers' meeting in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province next week.

The meeting, scheduled to take place on December 14-15, will focus on cooperation in economy and trade, transport and people-to-people exchanges, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

China hopes to identify with all SCO members the most pressing tasks of regional cooperation, Hua said.

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, government leaders from the six member states of the SCO, including Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariyev, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, and First Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Azimov will attend the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

Besides the six member states, government leaders from Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan will also take part in the meeting.

Attendees also include representatives from international organisations, including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet government leaders of SCO member states on the sidelines of the meeting.

Premier Li will also meet his Russian counterpart Medvedev for the 20th China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting.