Chinese foreign minister calls for upholding central role of United Nations amid severe challenges

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said it is high time to support, reinvigorate and strengthen the United Nations (UN) amid growing turbulence and escalating hotspot issues.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, in Beijing.

Wang said that certain countries, which have adopted a might-is-right approach, are challenging the status and role of the United Nations, presenting a significant challenge to both the UN and multilateralism.

"In the face of headwinds and crosscurrents, we must stick to the right path of unity and cooperation, and must not let the law of the jungle to prevail. In the face of bullying and coercion, we must uphold fairness and justice, and must not allow whoever is more powerful to have the final say ," he said.

Wang said China has always earnestly fulfilled its important responsibility of maintaining world peace and security and resolutely safeguarded the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Noting that this year marks the 55th anniversary of China's restoration of its lawful seat in the UN, Wang said China will firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, promote the common development of all countries through China's development and empower global governance.

Wang stressed that Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly has once and for all resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN, which is universally observed across the UN system. China appreciates this and opposes any words or deeds that challenge the authority of the resolution, he added.

Baerbock thanked China for its long-term and firm support to the work of the UN and the UN General Assembly, saying that China has played an important leading role in safeguarding multilateralism, safeguarding international law and promoting peace, development and human rights.

Baerbock expressed willingness to continue to strengthen cooperation with China, promote the improvement of global governance and jointly advance the cause of world peace and development, adding that the 80th Session of the UNGA will continue to abide by Resolution 2758.

Chinese foreign minister calls for upholding central role of United Nations amid severe challenges

The first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Yangtze River Delta entered service Wednesday after a 168‑hour full‑power trial, marking a milestone in China's drive for homegrown nuclear technology, operator China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) said.

The No. 1 unit of the San'ao nuclear power project in east China's Zhejiang Province began construction on Dec 31, 2020, and was connected to the grid on March 12, 2026.

"The No. 1 Unit has passed all performance tests and run continuously at full power for 168 hours. All parameters are stable and safety performance is sound. Once operational, the unit is expected to generate more than 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year," said Ding Jingying, deputy general manager of CGN Cangnan Nuclear Power Co.

The San'ao project is the first nuclear power project in China to incorporate private investment. It is designed to host six Hualong One units, to be built in three phases. Four units have already been approved, and construction is moving forward as planned.

When all six units are up and running, their total annual power output is expected to exceed 54 billion kilowatt-hours, roughly equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of the entire Wenzhou metropolitan area. That would save more than 16.35 million tonnes of standard coal and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 50 million tonnes each year, CGN said.

First Hualong One nuclear power unit enters service in Yangtze River Delta