China's Belt and Road initiative 'fits into UN goals'

BEIJING - China's Belt and Road initiative fits well in building up infrastructure and helping fulfill UN goals, Jan Eliasson, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations said in Beijing on Thursday.

China' s efforts in boosting infrastructure investment are the concrete actions needed to meet UN development goals, Eliasson said at a press conference.

"There is a need to increase investment in infrastructure, not least in developing countries," he said.

He said he hoped the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank would play such an important role and complement existing multilateral financing organizations such as the World Bank.

Commending China's multilateralism as a major part of its foreign policy, he called on countries to embrace "an international solution" in today's interconnected world, which is in the national interests of member states.

"We live in the world clearly so interdependent that if things go right in one part of the world, it helps the other part of the world. If things go wrong in one part of the world, it hurts others." He said, "So in the days of interdependence, we should act also in the spirit of interdependence."

He expressed appreciation for China's role in the UN peacekeeping operation, as well as its assistance in sending timely medical personnel to three African countries heavily affected by the Ebola virus and in helping with the Yemen evacuation.

China is the largest personnel contributor to UN peacekeeping missions among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It has recently assisted 15 countries evacuate 279 citizens as security conditions in Yemen deteriorate.

Eliasson, currently on a four-day visit to Beijing that ends on April 11, met with several senior Chinese officials earlier on Thursday, including State Councilor Yang Jiechi, executive vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui and vice foreign minister Li Baodong.

During the meeting, Yang said as a founding member of the United Nations, China firmly backs the UN playing a significant role in world affairs and supports the democratization of international relations.

Eliasson also attended the launching ceremony of the new United Nations website in Chinese.