Your Excellency Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador,

Your Excellency Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand,

Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations,

Your Excellency Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Acting President of the General Assembly,

It gives me great pleasure to attend the handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 for 2017. At the outset, I wish to thank Thailand as the Chair of the Group last year and express my great appreciation to Ambassador Virachai Plasai and his team for their professionalism, dedication and outstanding leadership.

Last year, under the strong leadership of Thailand, the Group of 77 and China cooperated closely in its in-depth participation in the work of the UN in various fields, particularly in promoting a propitious beginning of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the successful holding of Habitat III, effectively safeguarding the common interest of the developing countries and increasing the influence and voice of the Group of 77 in international affairs.

I warmly congratulate Ecuador on its assumption of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 for 2017. As an important Latin American country, Ecuador successfully hosted the Habitat III last year and made outstanding contributions to the the New Urban Agenda that will guide international cooperation in human settlement in the coming 20 years. China and Ecuador have broad common interest on many major international and regional issues, and recent years have witnessed rapid development of the traditional friendly relations between our two countries. President Xi Jinping visited Ecuador last November when our two countries established comprehensive strategic partnership. I am convinced that under the leadership of Ecuador, the Group of 77 and China will maintain its unity and collaboration in promoting common development and safeguarding our common interest.

In 2017, the Group of 77 and China needs to continue to work together in the following priority areas:

First, we need to intensify efforts to improve global economic governance. We need to steadfastly advance the reform of the international economic governing system, effectively increase the representation and voice of the developing countries, and support the UN in playing a bigger role in global economic governance. We need to firmly support an economic globalization that is inclusive and beneficial to all, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and enhance inter-connectivity among and within different regions with a view to creating a community of shared future for mankind.

Secondly, we need to ensure comprehensive and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year will be an important year in the comprehensive and in-depth implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We need to keep poverty reduction and development promotion as the core in the implementation of the Agenda, advance the economic, social and environmental development in a balanced way and urge the developed countries to honor their ODA commitments.

Thirdly, we need to further strengthen South-South cooperation. While North-South cooperation is the main channel for global development cooperation, South-South cooperation is also important. It is a great pioneering measure uniting the developing nations together for self-improvement. We need to continue to improve the synergy among the development strategies of various countries, reinforce macro-economic policy coordination and focus on connectivity and production capacity cooperation with a view to achieving practical results in South-South cooperation.

Mr. Chairman,

China always attaches great importance to its cooperation with the Group of 77. In 2016, as the presidency of the G20, China vigorously promoted the dialogue between the G20 and the developing countries and made the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a priority item of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, prompting greater international support to the developing countries. China is making active efforts to implement the series of major initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping at the UN summits in 2015 in order to help other developing countries develop economy and improve people’s lives.

China will firmly support Ecuador in its work as the Chair of the Group of 77 and continue to strengthen cooperation with the Group in safeguarding the common interest of the developing countries and promoting common development.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.