The President of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly, Didier Opertti (Uruguay), visited China from 5 to 10 July 1999 at the invitation of the Chinese Government. During his visit, the President held discussions with senior Chinese officials, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tang Jiaxun, and the Chairman of China's Commission for State Planning and Economic Cooperation. He also had a long audience with the Chinese President, Jiang Zeming. In the course of the discussions, held in a friendly atmosphere and characterized by the spirit of cooperation, the participants considered different aspects of the current international political situation. It was agreed that efforts needed to be made to continue and implement the reforms aimed at strengthening the role that the United Nations should play in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, as stipulated in the Charter. In that context, both sides agreed on the need to increase the representation of the developing countries in the Security Council.
At the end of his visit, the President of the General Assembly expressed satisfaction with the results of the visit and extended his gratitude to the authorities of the People's Republic of China.
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