China has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with the United Nations to consolidate the UN's authority and steer global governance reform in the right direction, as the world body gears up to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its founding next year.
The pledge was made as Vice-President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately with Philemon Yang, president of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, in Beijing on Thursday.
Yang, who is also former prime minister of Cameroon, started his five-day visit to China on Wednesday, his first since taking the UN office in September.
Calling the UN the banner of multilateralism, Han said its role should only be strengthened, not weakened, and expressed China's support for the body in playing a core role in international affairs.
China will always actively participate in the reform and construction of global governance to drive the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction, Han added.
During his talks with Yang, Wang said China is willing to support Yang in his new role, and emphasized that China has always been a supporter and contributor to the cause of the UN.
The foreign minister underlined the need for the UN to be a constructive force for multilateralism, calling for unequivocally opposing unilateralism and hegemony and resolutely resisting the wrong practice of taking a selective approach to multilateralism.
He also highlighted the UN's responsibility to enhance the representation and voice of the Global South, balance the power of multilateral institutions and make decision-making more democratic, in order to ensure that more Global South countries benefit from development outcomes.
Wang said he hopes the UN will be a just force in safeguarding world peace, and that it will take the lead in resolving hot spot issues through dialogue and negotiation, instead of conflict and coercion.
The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and the three China-proposed major global initiatives provide fundamental guidance for China's participation in global governance and in the UN's work, Wang added.
Yang said that China enjoys both rapid economic development and a long-term stable society, with Chinese modernization continuing to achieve new accomplishments, making it a model for countries around the world to learn from.
He expressed gratitude for China's long-standing, steadfast support for the UN and hailed China as a stable and constructive force in international affairs.
Yang also commended China for providing selfless support to a vast number of developing countries, while pledging the UN's continuous commitment to the one-China principle.
In September, the UN held the Summit of the Future and adopted the Pact for the Future to foster global cooperation, transform global governance and navigate the pressing challenges that the world faces today.
Yang said he believes China will continue to play an indispensable and critical role in implementing the pact and advancing cooperation in areas such as sustainable development and artificial intelligence.
Founded in 1945, the UN is the most universal, representative and authoritative international intergovernmental organization. It currently has 193 member countries. The People's Republic of China resumed its seat in the UN in 1971.
Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies' Department for American Studies, said that as a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has played the role of a responsible major country, contributing to world peace and development.
She said that during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, China's position and wisdom were in the spotlight, prompting the international community to further build common understanding and seek solutions to shared problems.
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