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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on countries to uphold multilateralism and follow international rules and norms for the sake of universal security.

Speaking at a plenary meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Fu Cong, head of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said multilateralism remains an effective approach to dealing with common challenges and resolving international disputes.

The world needs multilateralism more than ever before, said Fu.

"We must firmly uphold the international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, bridge differences and resolve disputes through consultation and dialogue, and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of every country, so as to achieve common and universal security," Fu said.

The Chinese envoy called on countries to adhere to international rules and norms. "We must uphold the authority and sanctity of the existing international rules and norms, and reject double standards, selective application of rules and placing domestic law above international law."

Fu also called for advancing global governance.

The international security issues keep evolving, and the existing global governance system is not compatible on many fronts, he said. "We should bear in mind the new security situation, bring creativity into full play and enhance communication and consultation so as to make the global security governance fairer, more equitable and effective."