Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly, his first visit to United Nations' headquarters since becoming Premier in March 2013.

The 71st session of the UN General Assembly has as its top priorities the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and challenges posed by terrorism, refugees and infectious diseases. Li was also to address several related events during his stay in New York.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the People's Republic of China resuming its seat in the UN

In Beijing in August, when Li met Peter Thomson, the then president-elect of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, he said China would firmly support the UN in dealing with global threats and challenges and safeguarding the postwar international order.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China's continuing efforts to press for sustainable growth and to improve global governance have gained warm support from world leaders meeting in the lakeside city of Hangzhou.

At the G20 Summit that ended on Sept 5, a communique was adopted that clarified the development direction, targets and measures of cooperation, together with a string of specific action plans.

To make economic globalization more inclusive, those at the summit decided to put development at the center of global macro policy. The first action plan has been formulated for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the conference's focus on sustainable development and climate change, urging all countries to take early action on these issues.

"For the first time in the history of the G20 the Hangzhou Draft communiqu is now focusing on this Sustainable Development Action Agenda as one of their most important [aspects of] the outcome document," Ban said at a news conference on Sept 4 before the summit opened.

"Climate change and Sustainable Development Goals should go hand in hand. That is not my message; that is the message of all scientists, economists and all experts."

Early action "will bring more and more, and better and better results", he said.

Last September the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a new global framework to advance peace and prosperity for all people and for a healthy planet.

"I urge all countries to align their national policies, socio-economic policies, programs and investment behind these Sustainable Development Goals," Ban said at the news conference.

He spoke highly of the ratification of the landmark Paris climate change agreement by China and the United States, calling for accelerated efforts from other countries to endorse the pact.

Describing the progress as a major success, he praised the "outstanding leadership" demonstrated by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama, who handed over legal instruments to Ban on Sept 3 in a testament to their resolve to tackle the global challenge.

anbeijie@chinadaily.com.cn