On the afternoon of August 8, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council met in Beidaihe with President Espinosa of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on an official visit to China. Li Keqiang said that China, as a founding member of the United Nations, a permanent member of the Security Council and the largest developing country, has always supported the work of the United Nations. President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to the UN headquarters in 2015 and attended a series of summits on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. China firmly upholds the authority of the United Nations and supports its central role in international affairs.Fully and deeply involved in the work of the UN in the political, economic, social, development, peacekeeping and other fields, we will continue to fulfill our due international obligations and work as builders of world peace, contributors to global development and maintainers of the international order. Li Keqiang pointed out that since the founding of the United Nations more than 70 years ago, world peace has been maintained on the whole, more than 1 billion people have been lifted out of poverty, and more and more countries have embarked on the road of development and prosperity. All these are closely related to the process of globalization and multi-polarization of the world.It is also inseparable from countries' adherence to multilateralism and joint efforts to meet challenges. Under the current international situation, we need a multilateral world more than ever. Countries should uphold the rules-based international order, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. We will uphold the basic rules of the World Trade Organization, uphold and improve the free trade system, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. We should promote greater democracy and rule of law in international relations and oppose protectionism.

Li Keqiang stressed that the United Nations and the World Trade Organization need to be improved and reformed, but the reform should not be carried out on the basis of maintaining the international order after World War II and on the premise of safeguarding the Charter of the United Nations and major principles such as free trade. Espinosa said that the United Nations attaches great importance to its relations with China. As President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, I chose China for my first visit because I saw China's important role in strengthening multilateralism and its tremendous contribution to supporting the work of the United Nations. The United Nations is ready to work with China and other countries in the world to safeguard the rule-based international order, promote free trade under the framework of international law and the World Trade Organization, promote economic globalization that is inclusive and beneficial to all, work together to meet challenges and promote world peace, stability, development and prosperity. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting.