The United Nations is very pleased that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit its New York headquarters, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.

"We are very pleased that President Xi will be visiting the United Nations as part of the (celebrations of the) 70th anniversary (since the founding of the bloc)," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, told a regular briefing.

"The secretary-general expects to discuss a whole round of issues with the president when he meets him," said Dujarric, adding that "there are important issues such as sustainable development, lifting people out of poverty and climate change, in which China has a crucial and leadership role to play."

At the invitation of Ban, Xi will visit the UN headquarters from Saturday to Monday to attend a series of summits to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.