UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 8  -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the Group of 77 (G77) to promote establishment of a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at a ceremony at the U.N. headquarters where Bolivia handed over the rotating chairmanship of the G77 to South Africa.

"We are convinced that under the leadership of South Africa, the Group of 77 and China will continue to carry forward the fine tradition of solidarity and cooperation, and further promote cooperation and common development of the developing world," he said.

The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of both the victory of the world anti-fascist war and the founding of the United Nations, Liu said, adding that it will be a year of great significance with milestones to be set: preserving world peace, promoting common development and establishing a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core.

The ambassador said that as a committed member of the developing world, China greatly values the role of the G77 and cherishes the G77 plus China mechanism.

"We will as always endeavor to strengthen coordination and cooperation with all members of the Group and give all our support to the work of South Africa as the chair of the Group for the year 2015," Liu said.

The G77, established in 1964, is now a coalition of more than 130 developing U.N. member states plus China, and has more than 60 percent of the world's population.

The group is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the world body, aiming to promote collective economic interests and gain leverage within the international community.

The chairmanship, which sits atop the organizational structure of G77, rotates on a regional basis among countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean and is held for one year only.