Visiting United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday that China's share of responsibility for world security will increase.
In a speech at Qinghua University, Annan said as China's geopolitical weight grows, its share of responsibility for global issues would be magnified.
China's development has an impact on the whole world, which also draws it into new relationships with other parts of the world, he said.
Annan referred to the Millennium Development Goals set four years ago by world leaders at the UN headquarters.
Whether the world could reach these goals by 2015 depends in great part on China, Annan said. With its huge population and fast economic development, it has a big influence on global statistics.
"We might succeed in halving the population of very poor people in the world by 2015, so long as China lifts all its people out of poverty," Annan said.
"China, with its remarkable experience in development and expertise in security, can make a leading contribution to this vital global breakthrough.
"In these days of globalization, human misery knows no frontiers, nor does human solidarity," Annan added.
"I urge you and your contemporaries throughout China to commit yourselves to finding answers to our century's great challenges of poverty, disease and environmental degradation. Go out and make the world better."
Annan also said Chinese peacekeepers were "well-trained" with "good special knowledge" at a press conference following talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing yesterday.
Annan expressed his appreciation to Li for the Chinese peacekeeping forces' outstanding performance in their missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and other regions.
He acknowledged China has played an active role not only in peacekeeping missions, but also in major security problems such as the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
Li said, the Chinese government has consistently supported the UN's efforts in safeguarding world peace and regional security. He added that China takes pride in its personnel stationed in countries far from home that help maintain international peace and regional security.
Approximately 10 batches of Chinese peacekeepers - including 800 military personnel, 150 police officers and civilian personnel - had been sent overseas to join UN missions.
Another 125 Chinese peacekeepers are expected to depart shortly for a new UN mission in Haiti, Li said.
"Some Chinese peacekeepers even laid down their lives during their missions. And the people and the central government will always remember them," Li said.
During their hourlong closed-door conversation, the foreign minister exchanged views with Annan on issues concerning global peace and regional security. They covered heated issues in Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, UN reform, peacekeeping and the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis.
Li said China believes the key to solving the Iraq issue is to stabilize the turbulent situation, establish a representative government and to allow the UN to play an important role.
China will continue to support holding international conferences related to the Iraq issue. Beijing hopes the Iraqi people can quickly move toward peace, Li said.
In Darfur, Li said the international community should support and encourage the Sudan government to take stronger measures to ease the humanitarian situation and allow the African Union a dominant role.