UNITED NATIONS -- China firmly supports the central role of the United Nations and is willing to continue close cooperation with the world body, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after chairing a Security Council high-level meeting.

Noting that the current international situation is marked by complex changes and escalating geopolitical competition, Wang said that the more turbulent and unstable the world becomes, the more important it is to uphold the authority and role of the United Nations.

China firmly supports the central role of the United Nations and is ready to continue close cooperation with the world body to practice true multilateralism and advance the cause of world peace and development, he said.

For his part, Guterres noted that the United Nations attaches great importance to China's role and fully agrees with and actively supports the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping.

In the face of current complex challenges, the United Nations calls on all countries to strengthen cooperation and promote peace and sustainable development, Guterres said.