Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan delivers a speech in Qinghua University in Beijing, Oct. 11, 2004. Annan arrived in Shanghai on Oct. 9, kicking off his five-day official visit to China as guest of the Chinese government. (Xinhua photo)

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    BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday urged China to play a bigger role in promoting world development and maintaining world peace so as to make leading contribution to world development and security.

    In a speech at China's elite Qinghua University, Annan said as China's geopolitical weight grows, its share of responsibility for world security also increases.

    China's development has an impact on the whole world, which also draws China into new relationship with other parts of the world, he said, noting that China has a stake in the development and prosperity of the wider world.

    The Millennium Development Goals were set four years ago, when political leaders from all over the world met at the United Nations headquarters.

    Whether the world could reach these goals by 2015 depends in great part on China, Annan said, adding that China, with a huge population and fast economic development, has a big influence on all global statistics.

    "We might succeed in halving the population of very poor peoplein the world by 2015, so long as China lifts all its people out of poverty," he said.

    Annan stated the world leaders will meet next September and check the proceeding of the Millennium Declaration, saying this will be the world's best chance for a breakthrough to address the joint global challenges of development and security.

    "China, with its remarkable experience in development and expertise in security, can make a leading contribution to this vital global breakthrough," he said.

    Speaking highly of the Chinese government for actively participating in UN peace keeping operations, maintaining regional and world peace and stability, Annan said he was deeply impressed by the photos showing Chinese policemen preparing to join the UN mission in Haiti.

    "In these days of globalization, human misery knows no frontiers, nor does human solidarity," Annan said.

    "I urge you all and your contemporaries throughout China to commit yourselves to finding answers to our century's great challenges of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation," he said.

    "Go out and make the world better!" Annan stressed. Enditem