Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing Monday afternoon for Japan to attend the Outreach Session of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

The G8 members, namely the United States, Britain, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and Russia, are scheduled to hold their annual summit of 2008 from July 7 to 9 at a lakeside resort of Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido of Japan.

As leaders of the world's leading industrialized powers gather in Japan for a three-day summit beginning Monday, the world will focus on what "prescriptions" they will write for financial turmoil and fuel and food price hikes, dubbed as the 3F crisis that is threatening the global economy.

Climate change is also high on the agenda of the summit of the G8 at a luxury hotel in Toyako, Hokkaido, and of a major economies meeting on Wednesday that will bring the group together with eight developing countries, including China, India and Brazil.

Chinese President Hu Jintao would participate in a joint meeting with leaders from India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, attend in a summit of G8 countries and five developing countries, and take part in a meeting of leaders from the major economic powers to discuss energy security and climate change.

He will also attend a working lunch to discuss issues of common concern such as the world economic situation, food security and development.

China hopes developed and developing countries to work on common policies and cooperation to address the global challenges such as climate change and food security.

The issues to be discussed would be "important" and "urgent", and China hoped the meeting would promote the dialogue between South and North, step up multilateral cooperation to resolve global issues and ensure lasting peace and common prosperity.

China had been cementing dialogue and exchanges with the G8, as Chinese President Hu Jintao had participated in the past four dialogues among leaders of the G8 countries and developing countries.

China was also involved in the ministerial meetings between G8 and developing countries focusing on finance, environment, development, science and technology, and energy.