China pledges support for work of UN General Assembly

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Sam Kahamba Kutesa, president of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept 25, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

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UNITED NATIONS -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday pledged his country's support for the work of the UN General Assembly.

In a meeting with Sam Kutesa, president of the current session of the UN General Assembly, Wang said that China will actively support Kutesa's efforts and work for new progress of the United Nations.

The Chinese side applauds the president's decision of making the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda the most important task of the current assembly session, as it answers the call of people from vast developing countries.

The agenda should stay focused on removing poverty and addressing the concerns of developing countries and respect the different national conditions and development paths of different countries, said Wang.

The world should continue to take South-North cooperation as the major channel while press ahead with South-South cooperation, pursue a balanced development and run economic, social and other undertakings in parallel, the Chinese minister said.

Wang said that the UN needs reform, and the reform of the UN should be an all-around process, with balanced progress in security, development and human rights.

"In particular, priority should be given to increasing the representation and voice of the vast developing countries in UN affairs, safeguard and expand the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries," he said.

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the birth of the world body as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war, Wang noted.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of WWII has been included in the agenda of the General Assembly.

"The international community shall take the opportunity to reaffirm its support to multilateralism, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, cement the post-war international order, strengthen the role of the UN and express opposition to words and deeds that deny and whitewash aggression and attempts to reverse the trend of history," he said.

Kutesa said that development is the key to many global issues.

The current General Assembly will stay committed to world development, poverty reduction, creation of jobs, improvement of public health and education and elimination of the breeding ground of terrorism, he said.

The reform of the UN should be comprehensive, without neglecting the reform in the field of development, the president said.

He pledged to stay in close communication with China on the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda, on UN reform and on commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of WWII.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual high-level debate of the 193-member General Assembly, which kicked off at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday.