NEW YORK — Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sept 26 that China is willing to boost communication and coordination with Germany at the UN Security Council in efforts toward international peace and security.

Meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Wang said China is willing to strengthen exchanges with Germany on World Trade Organization (WTO) development and reform, so as to better safeguard its core values, the international trade rules and order as well as the legitimate rights and interests of the developing countries.

“We firmly uphold the multilateralism process, firmly uphold the UN-centered international system, firmly uphold international law and international rules, and firmly uphold the international trade system with the WTO at the core,” said Wang, also a state councilor.

Aiming to make the international system work better, China has launched a number of international and regional cooperation initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the 16+1 Cooperation, which are all open and transparent, he said.

“We are glad to see that adherence to multilateralism has become the mainstream voice of this session of the General Assembly,” Wang said.

Maas, for his part, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits China on a yearly basis, which demonstrates that Germany attaches great importance to German-Chinese relations.

Both Germany and China support multilateralism, and share similar positions on major international issues including free trade, climate change, and the Iranian nuclear issue, he said.

The German diplomat expressed his hope that China will play a greater role in international affairs, and that the two sides will strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral institutions such as the UN Security Council.

Noting international relations are undergoing structural changes, he stressed that all parties should uphold and maintain jointly established international rules.

While affirming the EU does not appreciate using sanctions and tariffs as main diplomatic tools, Maas said Germany advocates strengthening communication and cooperation between the EU and China on major international issues.