BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China congratulates Uruguay on taking over the chairmanship of the Group of 77 (G77) and China for the year 2026 and looks forward to greater solidarity and cooperation under its leadership, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
At a regular press briefing, spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks when asked about the handover ceremony of the chairmanship of the G77 and China held recently at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
Guo noted that the G77 and China is an important force in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and improving the global governance system, and a pillar in defending multilateralism. He pointed out that the organization is playing an irreplaceable role in international affairs.
"As the largest developing country, China always shares weal and woe with the Global South and stands firmly with the G77 in upholding international fairness and justice, as well as protecting the common interests of developing countries," he said.
At the handover ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once again stressed the importance of multilateralism, unity and cooperation, which echoes the shared aspiration of the international community, Guo noted.
"It also proves that unilateral moves such as withdrawing from treaties and organizations and cutting off supplies find no support among the people," Guo said.
"As the international landscape experiences instabilities and transformation and multilateralism faces headwinds, it is all the more imperative for developing countries to seek strength through unity, jointly oppose unilateralism and bullying, and safeguard our legitimate development interests," Guo added.
"We hope that under the chairmanship of Uruguay, the G77 and China can further pool consensus on solidarity and cooperation, practice true multilateralism, firmly uphold the authority and role of the UN, restore development as the central international agenda item, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity," the spokesperson said. ■
