BEIJING - China said Thursday it backs the Group of 20 (G20) to play a bigger role in global economic governance.

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Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the remarks when answering a question on G20 summit to be held in Cannes later this year.

China supports France's hosting Cannes summit, Jiang said in a press release. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with and to make joint efforts with the French side to make preparations for the summit, to promote the summit to produce positive and pragmatic results, she said.

France assumed the G20 presidency in November 2010. On Thursday morning, President Nicolas Sarkozy attended a seminar on the international monetary system in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province.

"China attaches great importance to President Sarkozy's attending the seminar on the international monetary system in China, and some Chinese government organs have done a lot of work to prepare for the meeting," Jiang said.

"We believe that the seminar will provide constructive ideas for G20 discussions," she said.