Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13 in Washington, and the second summit of BRIC nations -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- in Brasilia on April 14-17, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday.

It will be the beginning of China's new round of summit diplomacy. It is widely expected China, as a major developing nation, will play important roles in the summits and join the international community in meeting global challenges.

China's voice indispensable at nuclear security summit

The Nuclear Security Summit will be an important multilateral meeting with an agenda covering nuclear disarmament, peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear material protection and the fight against smuggling of nuclear materials.

The fact that leaders and representatives from more than 40 countries will take part in the conference indicates strong international support for a multilateral solution.

"As a fast-rising major state, China's voice will undoubtedly draw the attention of the world," said Fu Mengzi, a scholar on U.S. issues with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Niu Xinchun, another scholar from the institute, stressed the importance of cooperation between China and the United States.

"China and the United States are both in legitimate possession of nuclear weapons and material. In the globalization era, nuclear security is a significant topic involving the whole world, and the importance of the two countries' relevant cooperation seems self-evident," Niu said.