Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said?in New York?Thursday that China will continue to pursue peaceful development and to contribute to global common development.

"China will stay on the track of peaceful development," Yang told the UN General Assembly during its annual general debate.

"China has made remarkable progress in pursuing peaceful development and will continue to follow this path in the years to come," he said.

The Chinese foreign minister also noted that, by developing itself, China will contribute to global peace and common development.

"China is firm in upholding its core interests," he said. "At the same time, it respects the legitimate right of other countries to protect their interests."

Yang said his country seeks to expand common interests with other parties for the sake of common good, citing that China has contributed a total of about 21,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions and taken an active part in international cooperation on counter-terrorism, anti-piracy and nonproliferation.

"In our efforts to resolve major international and regional hotspot issues, we have urged parties concerned to seek peaceful solutions through negotiation and thus played an important and constructive role in easing tensions and achieving political resolution of these issues," he added.?