Xinhua News Agency, United Nations, September 11 (Reporter Ji Li) Sun Lei, charge d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, spoke at a high-level discussion to commemorate the United Nations South-South Cooperation Day on the 11th, calling for deepening South-South cooperation.

Sun Lei said that China supports the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of the "Group of 77 and China" and appreciates the efforts of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation in promoting the development of the global South.Southern countries face the common task of achieving economic and social development. They must adhere to independence, equality and mutual benefit, give full play to the advantages of South-South cooperation in the fields of capacity building and knowledge sharing, and form synergy for development.China has always been a member of the Global South and is happy to see the mechanisms and platforms for South-South cooperation continue to be enriched. We look forward to relevant cooperation continuing to be led by developing countries and demand-oriented, and achieve practical results.

Sun Lei emphasized that the international community should promote development to return to the center of the United Nations agenda and allow southern countries to participate in international cooperation and share development results on an equal basis.South-South cooperation is a useful supplement to, rather than a substitute for, North-South cooperation. Developed countries should pay attention to the actual needs of southern countries, earnestly fulfill their official development assistance commitments, and provide more financial, technical and capacity-building support.

Sun Lei said that in the five years since China proposed the global development initiative, it has mobilized a total of more than 23 billion US dollars in funds and launched more than 1,800 cooperation projects.China has made long-term voluntary contributions to the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and the South-South Cooperation Fund. It has also established the China-United Nations Global South-South Development Mechanism with the United Nations and provided $10 million in budgetary support. The project solicitation has received widespread response, and future implementation will bring more benefits to relevant countries.China is willing to work with all parties to deepen unity and cooperation to create a better future for the global South.

September 12 is the United Nations South-South Cooperation Day.In 2003, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution designating December 19 of each year as the United Nations South-South Cooperation Day.Since 2012, the United Nations South-South Cooperation Day has been changed to September 12 to commemorate the day in 1978 when the United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action.