JOHANNESBURG -- China firmly supports the free trade system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core and will continue to support the reform of the international body, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, the largest city and economic hub of South Africa.

During the meeting, Wang noted that China, as a founding member of the United Nations (UN) and a steadfast defender of the current international order, pursues genuine multilateralism and firmly supports both the international system with the UN at its core and the free trade system with the WTO at its core.

He pointed out that while unilateralism and protectionism are prevalent today, the trend of economic globalization is irreversible. Therefore, all parties should work together to promote trade liberalization and facilitation while accelerating global economic recovery.

China will continue to support the director-general in advancing WTO reform, listening to the voices of countries in the Global South, and keeping pace with the progressive trends of the times, Wang said.

"China adheres to its position as a developing country, but it never shirks its international responsibilities," he said. "We will continue to fulfill our due obligations and demonstrate our responsibility as a major country."

Okonjo-Iweala, for her part, noted that amid the chaos in the world, China has moved in the right direction, achieved the UN poverty reduction target ahead of schedule, advanced industrialization rapidly and made remarkable achievements in education. China's success has set a model for other developing countries to follow, she said.

The WTO highly appreciates China's commitment to resolving trade disputes through dialogue and consultation within multilateral mechanisms in a mature and rational manner. It also hopes to continue receiving strong support from China in promoting WTO reform, she added.