Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya will lead a delegation to the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit next week, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday.

The SAARC summit starting on April 28 in Bhutan will discuss climate change as a key issue. Other issues include energy, food crises and effective implementation of the SAARC Development Fund.

China hoped the SAARC would contribute more to regional peace, stability and development, and China would continue dialogue and cooperation with the SAARC in this direction, Jiang said at a regular news briefing.

Founded in 1985, the SAARC has eight member countries: Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. China, Japan, Republic of Korea, the United States of America, Iran, Mauritius, Australia, Myanmar and the European Union have joined as "observers."