Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will attend the ninth Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers' Meeting as guest of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Gia Khiem.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the announcement at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

The ninth meeting, slated for May 25-26 in Hanoi of Vietnam, will focus on deepening Asia-Europe partnership and address the global financial crisis as well as other global challenges.

Ma said China expects the meeting to turn the achievements of the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting held in Beijing last year and its follow-up proposals into practice, and send to the world a strong signal of Asia-Europe bond in tackling the global downturn.

"We also hope the meeting would help enhance trust and cooperation between the two continents, and push forward Asia-Europe partnership," he added.

The meeting is the first gathering of foreign ministers and delegations from 45 ASEM members, according to the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2009)