（Photograph by Bai Jie/Xin Hua News Agency）

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Yemen for assuming the chairmanship of the Group of 77. I am confident that in the new year, under the leadership of Yemen, the Group of 77 and China will maintain solidarity, continue to strengthen consultation and coordination, and vigorously safeguard the overall interests of developing countries.

I also wish to take this opportunity to extend my tribute to Sudan, Chairman of the Group of 77 for last year, and my thanks to Ambassador Mohamad and his colleagues for their outstanding work. In 2009, under the leadership of Sudan, the Group of 77 and China actively and deeply engaged in the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, UN Summit on Climate Change, sessions of the General Assembly, the ECOSOC and the Commission on Sustainable Development, the 15th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC, and other important international meetings, reinforced the role of developing countries on world affairs and contributed to the international development agenda.

The year 2010 will be a very important year. As the impact of the financial crisis lingers, and the negotiations on climate change get more complicated and difficult, how to achieve the MDGs on schedule and embark on the path of sustainable development remains a major task facing developing countries.

This year, the United Nations will convene a series of high-level meetings on these issues, including high-level events on the MDGs, review of the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation, and biodiversity, the first preparatory meeting for the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, and the 16th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC. These meetings concern the immediate interests of developing countries. The Group of 77 and China should make early preparations, strengthen consultation and coordination and strive to steer the process of the meetings.

As a developing country, China views consolidating and strengthening solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries as one of the pillars of its foreign policy. We attach great importance to the mode of cooperation between the Group of 77 and China. In the new year, China will; as always, continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Group of 77 and render full support to the work of its Chairman. In this connection, the Chinese Government this year will continue to contributeUS$40,000 to the Group of 77 to support the work of its Chairman's office and secretariat.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.