Sustainable growth key in UN teamwork

Beijing reiterates its support for unity, multilateralism at high-level meeting

Addressing global challenges together and advancing sustainable development are among the key issues on which consensus was reached between China and the United Nations at a high-level meeting in Beijing on Thursday.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, met with President of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi, who is on a visit to China from Wednesday through Saturday.

Green development is high on the agenda of Korosi's visit. He will "meet with senior government officials and with leading scientists working on sustainable development and water management projects", the UN said in a statement on Wednesday.

Korosi will also travel by a high-speed train from Beijing to Zhengzhou, Henan province, and visit the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

Meeting with Korosi in Beijing, Wang said that China will continue to offer staunch support to the UN and step up collaboration with it to further implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.

Also, China will help advance the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and jointly tackle global challenges in areas such as water resources, climate change and biodiversity, he added.

Korosi said the UN is ready to step up collaboration with China to jointly fight the COVID-19 epidemic, address global challenges in areas such as development financing, water resources and climate change, and press ahead with the UN 2030 Agenda.

During Thursday's talks, Wang noted that the world is currently grappling with uncertainties and instability, and dealing with these "requires all countries to hold high the banner of the UN and exercise unity".

The aim is to reduce warfare, geopolitical conflicts, hegemony and bullying, and shore up peace, dialogue, reconciliation and international cooperation, he added.

Officials and experts said that China, as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, has been a staunch supporter of and an active contributor to UN missions.

Currently, China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the Security Council and the second largest contributor among all countries to the UN peacekeeping budget.

At a Security Council open debate last week, China's permanent representative to the UN Zhang Jun said that China "has made tireless efforts" in strengthening capacity-building in regions torn by conflicts.

Citing Africa as an example, Zhang said that since the beginning of the new century, China has built over 6,000 km of railways, 6,000 kilometers of roads and nearly 20 ports in the continent.

Speaking to Korosi, Wang reaffirmed that "China is willing to work with countries to firmly guard the international system with the UN at its core, and champion the international order based on the tenet and principle of the UN Charter".

Korosi praised the Chinese government for its support to the grouping and to multilateralism, and he congratulated China on launching a new episode for the country's development.

A flagship report from the UN, issued last week, predicted that China's GDP growth will hit 4.8 percent this year.

Speaking on the Chinese economy, Wang noted that the country "successfully overcame the challenges posed by the epidemic", and the operation of its economy and society has quickly returned to normal.

China will continue working to secure the health and safety of the Chinese people, and make key contributions to the stable operation of the world economy, he added.