Zhang Jun completes term as China's top UN envoy

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), said on Thursday that he will soon finish his five-year term in the post and return to China.

According to a statement released by China's Permanent Mission to the UN, Zhang called his UN posting "a great honor and heavy responsibility." His UN tenure started in 2019.

"It is also a very unforgettable and glorious experience for me," Zhang said adding that he always keeps in mind the trust of the people of his motherland and makes unremitting efforts to fulfill his mission.

"During my years at the UN, I have come to realize that the world is seeing a different China," the Chinese envoy noted.

Stressing China is a force for peace, development and progress that can be relied upon, Zhang said he is proud of the country's strong development and the important role it plays in the international arena.

Zhang believes that the world needs guidance in the right direction more than ever.

"It needs more insistence on fairness and justice. It needs motivation to move forward. It needs unity, trust and cooperation. It needs a stronger and more powerful United Nations," he said.

Zhang also recently bid farewell to senior UN officials such as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Dennis Francis, president of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, as well as representatives of other countries to the UN.

They all extended warm congratulations to Ambassador Zhang on the successful completion of his honorable mission to the United Nations.

The statement from China's UN mission mentioned that Guterres told Zhang that he always believes that China's development and growth are beneficial to the world.

"China's commitment to promoting win-win cooperation among all countries in the world, while safeguarding its own interests and fully demonstrating its pragmatic and self-confident style as a great power, is unique among the major powers," the UN chief said.

Noting he has witnessed the strengthening of China's role at the UN and its deepening of cooperation with the UN, Guterres said the organization is ready to continue to deepen its cooperation with China in all fields.

"The UN needs more firm and reliable partners like China to maintain world peace and stability and promote sustainable development," said Francis.

"China has always taken practical actions to practice multilateralism, promote unity and cooperation in the international community, and become a strong pillar of the United Nations cause," he said, adding that he will continue to strengthen cooperation with China and jointly seek benefits for all mankind.

Ambassadors from various countries, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Singapore, Italy and others also bid farewell to Zhang, according to the statement.