BEIJING - As the annual Group of 20 (G20) summit draws closer, media across the world have paid more attentions to Beijing's role in supporting the growth of less developed economies.

Leaders of the world's 20 largest economies are scheduled to meet in China's eastern city of Hangzhou on Sept 4 and 5. Hopes are high that China's leadership will breathe fresh life into the quest for an elusive global recovery.

According to The Herald of Zimbabwe, many African countries are hoping that the annual event will focus more on issues dealing with the skewed development trajectory of the world.

The newspaper also highlighted China's stance that less developed countries are in urgent need of speeding up the process of industrialization.

"This hope is pinned on China's stance that it will push the G20 members at the meeting to consider supporting the industrialization of Africa," it said.

"Given its status, China can successfully act as a 'broker' to leverage both political and economic power between developed and developing countries," it added.

Meanwhile, other diplomatic issues of global concern are also expected to be raised. British and Russian media paid close attentions to the announcement that British Prime Minister Theresa May and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting at the coming G20 summit.

Sky News reported that May and Putin agreed during a telephone conversation to see each other at the summit to seek closer and healthier ties between the two nations.

Both leaders had said they were unhappy with the current state of relations between Britain and Russia, Sky News quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying.

Russia and Turkey have also been trying to repair ties as Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Turkish Ambassador to Russia Umit Yardim told Sputnik on Thursday.