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China Focus: China vows firm support for UN

Xinhua, November 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chinese President Xi Jinping met United Nations Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres in Beijing on Monday, vowing stronger cooperation with the UN and firm support for its work.

Calling the UN the "most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental international organization," Xi said it has played an irreplaceable role in addressing global challenges.

Countries around the world expect the UN to play a greater role as the international situation develops, Xi said.

"The UN should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard international peace and security, promote common development, and, in particular, implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change," Xi said.

He called on the UN to take care of developing countries' interests, and give more voice and do more for such countries.

Guterres, on a China trip from Monday to Tuesday, said he appreciated China's support for his election as UN chief. He was appointed by the UN General Assembly in October to succeed Ban Ki-moon as UN secretary-general.

China has become an important pillar in the UN cause and multilateralism, said the 67-year-old Portuguese.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's restoration to its seat in the UN.

Hailing China-UN cooperation over the past years, Xi said China will continue to join and back UN cooperation in various areas, support UN work and multilateralism, and uphold international order with the purpose and principles of the UN Charter at the core.

Xi proposed facilitating China-UN cooperation by allowing for the leading role of high-level exchanges, and pushing forward progress in implementing China's measures to support the UN, which he announced when visiting UN headquarters in September 2015.

The measures included offering 2 billion U.S. dollars to set up a fund to support South-South cooperation, and establishing a permanent peacekeeping police squad and a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops.

Guterres said Xi's proposals to back UN work at the UN summit last year were inspiring.

China has made a great contribution to world peace and development by initiating the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), participating in UN peacekeeping operations and mediation, as well as helping other developing countries, said the UN chief designate.

He pledged stronger cooperation with China in boosting world peace, stability and prosperity.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Guterres on Monday.

Guterres will start a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2017. He was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. Endi