United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives in Beijing today with one of the top issues on his agenda being China’s increasing global role.

In an interview last week with New York-based journalists from major Chinese media organizations Ban said, "As a global power, you should be more proactive in addressing global interests. There are many global issues affecting humanity, climate change, millennium¹ development goals, health, the environment and how to maintain sustainable economic development".

"As secretary-general, I'm going to lead this campaign and I expect that China's people and government will actively² participate, commensurate with your economic development and political responsibility," Ban said.

The UN chief is on a two-week, three-nation official visit to East Asia and is scheduled to give a speech at the China Foreign Affairs University following his arrival in Beijing today. Ban will also meet with President Hu Jintao, Premier³ Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi tomorrow, after visiting AIDS patients and touring Olympic facilities and venues⁵.

The UN secretary-general expressed his confidence at a successful Olympics five weeks before the opening of the international sporting event saying he hoped it to be, “the most successful one ever.”

"This Olympic Games should be used as a venue⁴ where all people of the world can enjoy fair competition and demonstrate great athletic⁶ skill, but at the same time this should be the venue where we can promote harmony, friendship and mutual⁷ understanding transcending⁸ all ideologies⁹, ethnicities and national or geographic¹⁰ boundaries," he added.

Ban also recalled his trip to the epicenter of the Sichuan earthquake in late May, he said: “I was very touched and saddened by what I saw at the epicenter of the earthquake. At the same time, I was very much impressed by the efficiency in managing and overcoming this natural disaster, through the leadership of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. This is an exemplary case. China is a modern country that implemented¹¹ a formal frame of action. It is (also) very encouraging that the Chinese government, Republic of Korea and Japan have agreed to a tripartite frame of disaster reduction and preparedness."

His trip will culminate¹² with his participation¹³ at the annual summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized countries in Hokkaido over the weekend.

Questions:

1. When does the UN Secretary General arrive in Beijing?

2. What is the major issue he wishes to encourage while in China?

3. What other major event will take place over the weekend in north eastern Japan?

Answers:

1. Tuesday, July 1.

2. The promotion¹⁴ of China’s increasing global role and responsibilities.

3. The G8 summit in Hokkaido.