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Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, Han noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the recognition of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China at the UN. Saying that China has remained committed to genuine multilateralism over the past 55 years, Han stated that the country supports the UN playing a central role in international affairs.

Noting that safeguarding multilateralism and improving the global governance system through reform have become common expectations of the international community, Han said China would continue to play its part as a responsible major country.

Han said China would continue to strengthen alignment between its own approaches and initiatives and the UN agenda, while offering new opportunities for global development through new progress in Chinese-style modernization.

Guterres, for his part, thanked China for its strong support for the work of the UN. Noting that China plays an important role in advancing the UN agenda and makes significant contributions to global development, Guterres said they were ready to further deepen cooperation with China to safeguard the common interests of the international community.

As part of his engagements in New York, Han Zheng also attended a high-level dialogue hosted by China to mark the 5th anniversary of the Global Development Initiative.

In his remarks there, Han said China was ready to work with all parties to implement the Global Development Initiative in a more comprehensive and concrete manner, ensure that people in all countries benefit from the outcomes of development, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Maldivian Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef, and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane also delivered remarks at the dialogue.

The meeting was attended by ministerial-level officials from more than 30 countries, as well as more than 300 representatives from over 60 countries and more than 20 international organizations.

Han Zheng also met with President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly Khalilur Rahman. Saying that China supports making sustainable development one of the priority items of the General Assembly’s work during this session, Han called for responding to the expectations of people around the world through concrete development outcomes.