BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will attend the 14th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from April 3 to 4 in New Delhi, capital of India.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the announcement on Tuesday at a regular press conference.

Li Zhaoxing will head a delegation to attend the meeting at the invitation of the indian government, according to Qin.

This was the first time for Chinese delegation to attend the SAARC summit after China became an observer state, the spokesman noted.

Founded in 1985, the SAARC includes Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the European Union are observers of the organization.