China remains deeply committed to UN, Wang says

China will always remain deeply committed to upholding the authority of the United Nations, its charter and its central role in international affairs, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told UN Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres on Monday during his first visit to China after his election as secretary general last month.

Facing a variety of global challenges, no country can succeed in solving them alone, Wang said. The UN is an effective platform for a collective response to global challenges.

"In a chaotic world, nations have more, not less expectations for the UN," Wang said. "Therefore the role of the UN must only be strengthened, not weakened."

The UN must answer the global demand for increasing efficiency and responses to emergency, so that the annual budget of more than $10 billion and 160,000 personnel can provide the best service, he said.

China will continue to support the work of the United Nations and remain dedicated to maintaining world peace and promoting development, Wang said, noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the restoration of China’s rightful seat at the UN.

China is one of the largest sponsors of the UN and the second-largest financial sponsor of UN peacekeeping missions, Guterres said. China also developed new global instruments such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative to help other nations achieve sustainable development through cooperation.

At the same time, China has been actively bringing nations in conflict together to resolve issues through dialogue, Guterres said. China can become an honest broker for peace that "the world badly needs today," he said.

China also wants to reform the UN, helping it trim down bureaucracy and costs, so that the UN can better help less developed countries, he said.

"China is a solid pillar for multilateralism," he said. "I am very committed to developing cooperation with China for what I hope to be a much more effective and multilateral system."

Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. The 67-year-old politician served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015 before succeeding Ban Ki-moon which he will do at the start of 2017.

Contact the writer at Zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn