Xi reaffirms support for UN authority, urges more cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 26, 2015. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing]

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for global efforts to defend authority and role of the United Nations and vowed to deepen cooperation with the world body.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, Xi said in his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

On that occasion, the international community should reaffirm the commitment to multilateralism, defend principles and purposes of the UN Charter, safeguard authority and role of the UN and make joint efforts to promote world peace and common development, Xi suggested.

The member states demonstrated their support and expectations for the UN to play a bigger role in world affairs with their leaders gathering in New York, the Chinese president noted.

As all parties expect the UN to adhere to political solutions to hot-spot issues in the coming decade, Xi urged the global institution and its Security Council to draw useful experiences from how the Iran nuclear issue was handled.

Xi called upon the UN to continue to promote global development by making full use of its political and moral advantages and strengthening coordination and input while renewing commitment to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

The developed countries should take their historic and moral responsibilities to provide support including capital and technology to their developing counterparts, Xi said.

The Chinese leader expected the UN to play a leading role in addressing global issues, adding the world body is the most ideal platform for international anti-terrorism cooperation.

The UN member states, Xi said, should earnestly implement relevant resolutions adopted by the Security Council as well as global anti-terrorist strategies approved by the General Assembly, so as to combat terrorism in multiple and coordinated efforts.

Xi also underlined that China is committed to developing a new model of international relations with win-win cooperation as the core.

China will stick to a path of peaceful development, dedicate itself to defending existing international order founded on the UN Charter, continue its support for the global body and deepen cooperation with it, Xi concluded.

For his part, Ban said China is an important member of the international community, as well as an indispensable partner for UN agenda. He also extended his welcome for the visit of the Chinese leader, the first of its kind since Xi took office in 2013.

China has played a positive role and made remarkable contributions to promoting world peace and development as well as proper solutions to regional and international issues for a long period of time, the UN chief said.

Describing Xi's proposals on supporting UN development agenda at an earlier UN summit as encouraging, Ban said China's support is of great significance to the UN.

The UN is looking forward to reinforcing cooperation with China on a range of issues including advancing the development agenda, addressing regional hot-spot issues and completing negotiation for a new agreement on climate change.

Xi is now on the third leg of his U.S. trip in New York where he addressed on Saturday morning the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit at the UN headquarters during a landmark visit to the global body.

In his address, Xi called for an equitable, open, all-round and innovation-driven development path in implementing the post-2015 development agenda adopted by the UN summit.

He put forward a four-point proposal for the international community: building up the development capacities; improving the international environment for development; updating the partnership for development; and strengthening the coordination mechanisms for development.