UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will pay an official visit to China from May 19 to 23 at the invitation of the Chinese government, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao in Beijing Thursday.

This is Annan's seventh visit to China since he took office, said Liu.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan will meet with him and exchange views with him on international and regional issues of common interest and the cooperation between China and the United Nations, according to Liu.