Chinese president arrives in Hamburg for G20 summit

Chinese President Xi Jinpingand his wife Peng Liyuan arrive at the airport in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. Xi Jinping arrived in the northern German city of Hamburg Thursday for the 12th Group of 20 (G20) Summit. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

HAMBURG, Germany, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the northern German city of Hamburg Thursday for the 12th Group of 20 (G20) Summit.

In a signed article published Tuesday on mainstream German media before he traveled to the European country for a state visit, Xi said China hopes that the G20 major economies will continue to champion the building of an open world economy.

Recalling the achievements of last year's G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, Xi said the world economy still faces daunting challenges despite "further consolidation of growth momentum and the upbeat economic outlook in both the developed and emerging economies."

He urged the group, the premier forum for international economic cooperation, to continue "to follow through on the consensus reached at Hangzhou and all its previous summits and lead the way forward for the world economy."

Xi arrived in Berlin Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany, aiming to cement ties with this major country of Europe.

During his stay in Berlin, Xi met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and held talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Chinese president also attended the opening ceremony of the Panda Garden at Berlin Zoo and watched a football match between Chinese and German youth teams.