Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for stronger multilateral cooperation on issues including United Nations reform, artificial intelligence regulation and global development.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting of the Group of Friends on Global Governance while in New York to preside over a UN Security Council high-level meeting.

Speaking at United Nations headquarters, Wang said reforming and improving global governance is a historic mission for this generation. Such a task demands strong conviction and unremitting efforts, he said.

China's proposals for reforming and improving global governance include promoting reform and greater efficiency at the United Nations, enhancing the authority and capacity of the Security Council, advancing peacekeeping operations, and strengthening global consensus on development.

"The purpose of UN reform is to enhance the world body, not weaken it. UN reform should be led by member states and carried out in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner," Wang said.

He stressed the importance of enhancing the voice of developing countries, and small and medium-sized countries, particularly by addressing the historical injustice faced by Africa.

Wang also called for improving international human rights governance, reforming the international economic and financial system, and establishing rules for artificial intelligence governance.

"China supports the United Nations playing a central role" in preventing the widening of the digital divide and establishment of safeguards for the military application of artificial intelligence, he said.

Wang said China has proposed establishing a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and will host the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai in July.

He also called for strengthening governance in emerging areas such as cyberspace, outer space and artificial intelligence, and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

The GGI is another major initiative proposed by China in September last year, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). The initiative has received positive responses from nearly 160 countries and international organizations, according to Wang.

He added that Groups of Friends on Global Governance have been established in New York, Geneva and Vienna, with membership expanding to more than 60 countries.

Representatives from more than 60 countries attended Thursday's meeting, including the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba and Zimbabwe. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed briefed the participants.

Wang said China will host a forum on global governance in the Xiong'an New Area in North China's Hebei province this autumn. He called Xiong'an a "city of the future" and said China hopes countries can work together there to advance global governance reform and improvement.

The meeting issued a joint communique of the Group of Friends on Global Governance calling for safeguarding the authority of the United Nations, upholding international law, strengthening solidarity and cooperation, and improving global governance.

The Group also reached consensus on five key points regarding global governance, said Wang.

He said members of the group support democratizing international relations and giving all countries equal rights to participate in and benefit from global governance, regardless of their size or level of development.

Wang said the group also supports upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguarding the central role of the United Nations, practicing multilateralism, and opposing unilateralism and power politics.

Wang said all members support "reforming and improving global governance and narrowing the North-South divide to ensure that all countries share the benefits of development and that no country is left behind".

He said members also called for addressing the most pressing challenges facing the international community through concrete actions and practical results to "ensure global governance meets the needs of the times and the people".

Xinhua contributed to the story.