Chinese President Hu Jintao said in London on Thursday that the most pressing task in countering the global financial crisis is to restore global economic growth and prevent a serious recession.

The financial crisis is "still spreading and deepening," and its impact on the global real economy is "becoming more and more evident," Hu said at the second Group of 20 (G20) financial summit here.

"The most pressing task now is to make every effort to restore global economic growth and prevent a serious recession," he said.

Every effort should also be made to oppose all forms of protectionism, maintain an open and free environment for trade and investment, speed up reform and reshape the international financial order, he said.

"We should follow through on the international consensus, enhance confidence, take more effective measures, broaden cooperation, conduct more rational reforms and strive for substantive results," he said.

The G20 summit concluded Thursday with consensus on how to save the world out of the financial crisis, including a pledge of US$1.1 trillion to revive the world economy, a joint call to fight protectionism, and concrete actions to tighten banking regulations.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2009)