The United States will probably remain the world's number one power for a fairly long time to come. But this does not exclude other countries from also being world leaders, said the Chinese foreign minister in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday.

"We believe that affairs of a country should be handled by its own people, and likewise the affairs of the world should be handled through discussion by all countries, instead of being dominated or monopolized by any single country," Wang Yi said.

In this sense, China has all along supported the current international system with the United Nations at its core. The U.N. is the most authoritative inter-governmental organization with the broadest representation, whose charter is endorsed by people across the world.

In fact, many problems in the world result from the failure to fully implement the principles of the U.N. Charter, the very essence of which is respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes and international cooperation.

"If all countries, big and small, strong and weak, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the world will be more peaceful and stable, and countries will prosper together. That is the goal and philosophy of China's diplomacy," said Wang Yi.

Speculation that China will become the United States' major rival or even one day replace the United States in the world order is an irrelevant concern. Even as China has achieved outstanding economic development, it does not seek hegemony, nor does it position itself as a threat to any country.

"The United States will probably remain the world's number one power for a fairly long time to come. But this does not mean that the world can only be led by one country, which, in fact, is simply impossible. We need greater international cooperation to ensure a better future for our planet," Wang Yi said in response to the prediction that China will some day be forced to lead the world after the United States declines.

At the summit marking the 70th anniversary of the U.N. last year, President Xi Jinping laid out a very important vision, calling on countries to work together for a shared future for mankind.

Given the level of interdependence and integration among the world's nations, our planet has become a village where no one can prosper in isolation. This requires us to build a community of shared interests, shared responsibilities and shared security. Such an endeavor is in the common interest of all mankind.