China calls for deeper South-South cooperation at UN event

China on Friday called for deeper South-South cooperation, urging developing countries to strengthen solidarity and promote shared development at a high-level UN discussion marking the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.

Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said China supports the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and commended the UN Office for South-South Cooperation for its efforts to advance development in the Global South.

Sun said developing countries face common tasks in achieving economic and social development and should uphold independence, equality and mutual benefit, while leveraging the strengths of South-South cooperation in capacity building and knowledge sharing to create greater synergy.

China, as a member of the Global South, welcomes the continued expansion of South-South cooperation mechanisms and platforms, Sun said.

Sun said he hoped relevant cooperation would continue to be led by developing countries and guided by their needs, producing tangible outcomes.

He stressed that the international community should put development back at the center of the UN agenda, enabling developing countries to participate fairly in international cooperation and share the benefits of development.

South-South cooperation is a complement rather than a substitute for North-South cooperation, Sun said, urging developed countries to address the actual needs of developing nations and fulfill their official development assistance commitments by providing more financial, technological and capacity-building support.

Sun noted that over the past five years, China's Global Development Initiative has mobilized more than $23 billion in funding and launched over 1,800 cooperation projects.

China has also continued to make voluntary contributions to the UN Office for South-South Cooperation and the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation, while providing $10 million in budget support for the China–UN Global South‑South Development Facility.

September 12 marks the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.

The date commemorates the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action in 1978.

The UN General Assembly in 2003 initially designated December 19 as the commemorative day but changed it to September 12, starting in 2012. (Cover: African scholars visit a blueberry smart farming facility in Jinhua, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 23, 2026. /VCG)