G20 trade ministers meet ahead of summit

Attendees listen to a speech by China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng during the opening ceremony of the 2016 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Shanghai, China, July 9, 2016. [Photo / Agencies]

SHANGHAI - The G20 Trade Ministers Meeting opened on Saturday in Shanghai to discuss ways to boost trade and investment cooperation.

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, who chairs the meeting, said in his opening speech that the meeting is significant for trade and investment cooperation and global economic development.

The G20 members are the engine for world economic growth, representing over 85 percent of global GDP and over 80 percent of international trade, said Gao.

Efforts will be made to let the G20 play a bigger role in global economic growth and driving global trade back to strong growth, Gao said.

During his speech, Gao said the meeting will discuss ways to strengthen the G20 trade and investment mechanism, support multilateral trading systems and promote global trade growth.

Over 500 senior officials from G20 countries, invited countries and major international organizations participate in the two-day meeting.