BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush will visit China in November after a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Republic of Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday.

    US President George W. Bush said he expected to visit China in November, Qin said.

    Bush said he looked forward to visiting China following the summit meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum scheduled for November in Busan, a port city in the Republic of Korea.

    Bush made the announcement Tuesday in the talks with visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao in New York, Qin said. Hu was there to attend the summit meeting on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.

Bush appreciates China's assistance to hurrican relief

    Bush also expressed his appreciation for China's assistance to the hurricane-hit areas in the meeting with President Hu Jintao, Qin said.

    The Chinese government and people showed deep sympathy and condolences to the US government and people over the human and property losses in the southern states hit by Hurricane Katrina. China offered assistance to the best of its ability.

    "US government officials spoke highly of China's help on different occasions," said Qin, adding that he hoped the Chinese assistance will help the people in the disaster-stricken states to rebuild their homeland.

    The US states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hit by Hurricane Katrina, the strongest since 1969, in late August, causing heavy human and property losses. The overall death toll from the hurricane rose to 708 by Wednesday, with estimated losses over 100 billion US dollars.

China willing to help other developing countries

    China is ready to help other developing countries to eradicate poverty at an early date and promote their economic development, Qin said at the regular press conference.

    Qin said that among those proposals China put forward to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), one of them is that China will provide 10 billion US dollars as preferential loans and preferential buyer's credit for export in three years to developing countries in an effort to improve their infrastructure construction and promote cooperation among enterprises.

    This important measure is announced by Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday at the High-Level Meeting on Financing for Development of the summit on the 60th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Qin said the measure demonstrates China's willingness to help other developing countries to shake off poverty and make due contribution to their economic development.

    "We hope to enhance cooperation among countries, bridge the gap between the South and the North so as to make sure the realization of the MDGs," said Qin, adding that China will make joint efforts with the international community to this end.

    As one of the developing countries with low and medium income, China faces with a number of difficulties and challenges, Hu said at the meeting of the UN summit.

    "However, we will try our best to support and help other developing countries to speed up their development," said Hu. Enditem