Chinese President Jiang Zemin met visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Beijing on November 16 and said that China has always supported and followed the principles of the UN Charter, and devoted itself to world peace and development.

Jiang said China has offered consistent support to the UN and maintained good cooperation with the Secretary-General. He voiced appreciation for Annan's efforts to invigorate the UN, push the UN 's emphasis on Africa, and support China on the issue of Taiwan.

The 21st century will soon be here and mankind will enter into a new millennium, Jiang said, noting that the UN, as the most important inter-government organization in the world, shoulders the heavy responsibility of safeguarding world peace and promoting global development.

The president stressed that the gist and principle of the UN Charter as well as the five principles of peaceful co-existence have become universally recognized principles governing international relations. They serve as a guarantee for world peace and stability and are in the interests of all members of the international family, he noted.

Jiang stressed the world is a colorful one, and China respects the universal principle of human rights enshrined in all documents. Meanwhile, he pointed out, due to differences between countries in social systems, culture, historical tradition, and economic levels, there should be different measures in protecting human rights and divergent forms of democracy.

Annan agreed with Jiang's view, noting the UN's make-up and work fully embody the diversity of the world. The right of subsistence is a basic human right which is equal to political rights. The UN, right proceeding from this understanding, has always devoted itself to the world's economic development, he said.

The Secretary-General congratulated China on reaching an agreement with the US on its entry into WTO, saying this is good news for the whole world. Without China's participation, the WTO is not a highly representative international trade organization, he added.

He also congratulated China on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic, praising China's considerable achievements in the past half century. He said the UN is willing to contribute to China's economic and social development. Annan also invited Jiang to attend the UN's Millennium Conference scheduled for September 2,000.