Global challenges

While meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the UNGA on Monday, Wang expressed China's hope for the UN to play a more important role, as the world faces multiple uncertain and unstable factors. He vowed to deepen cooperation with the UN to cope with various global challenges.

Wang said that the UN and secretary-general strongly agree with a number of initiatives and proposals advocated by President Xi Jinping, including building a shared future, an open world economy and rebalancing the process of economic globalization, which was appreciated by the China side.

China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with the UN and safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the process of multilateralism, along with investment in development issues and improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations.

Guterres said the UN put strong emphasis on China's international status and influence and appreciates China's leadership in peacekeeping efforts, solving hot issues, countering climate change and implementing the 2030 sustainable development goals. The UN is willing to work with China to solve world challenges.

Development stressed

In his meeting Monday with Miroslav Lajcak, president of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, Wang said China appreciates that the assembly stresses development and holds a "human-oriented" general debate, in line with the sustainable development goals and the will of members.

The reform of the UN has drawn concerns from various parties, Wang said. China supports UN reform, but at the same time, China hopes that the process can be advanced steadily on the basis of fully listening to the views of UN member states, Wang said.

Lajcak said the UN pays attention to China's view on UN reform and will promote the process in a step-by-step way led by member states.

US President Donald Trump hosted a short event on Monday on his first visit to UN headquarters as president and called for bold reforms of the UN.

"In recent years, the United Nations has not reached its full potential due to bureaucracy and mismanagement," Trump said. "We are not seeing the results in line with this investment."

Guterres has said the UN's "Byzantine procedures" and "endless red tapes" need to be addressed.