"China is both a strong supporter for and an active participant in the South-South Cooperation," a senior Chinese official said here Tuesday.

Yi Xiaozhun, the Chinese vice minister of commerce, made the statement as he was delivering a keynote speech at the Development Cooperation Forum, sponsored by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"This year marks the 60th anniversary of China's technical assistance to other developing countries through South-South Cooperation," Yi said. "It also marks the 31st anniversary of China as a beneficiary of the UN development assistance system."

Promoting South-South Cooperation and "help each other among the developing countries" is the centerpiece of development cooperation, he said. "As the developing countries are at similar levels of development and facing similar economic and social development problems, they can better appreciate the development needs of each other."

"China supports the 'Beyond Aid' initiative proposed in the UN secretary-general's report and emphasizes the need for enhanced policy coherence, host country ownership and capacity building over cash assistance," he said.