The Seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly kicks off its annual high-level debate early this morning at the UN headquarters in New York. Member States of the UN have taken the opportunity to address to the world their concerns on core international issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his first speech at the UN General Assembly, saying that China will never give up its pursuit of peaceful development.

"China will continue to participate in building world peace. We are committed to peaceful development. No matter how the international landscape may evolve and how strong it may become, China will never pursue hegemony, expansion or a sphere of influence."

He says all countries are equals, no matter big or small, rich or poor. And a partnership should be built in which countries treat each other as equals, engage in mutual consultation and show mutual understanding.

"The principle of sovereign equality underpins the UN Charter. The future of the world must be shaped by all countries. The principle of sovereignty means that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries are inviolable and their internal affairs are not subjected to interference. It also means that all countries' right to independently choose social systems and development paths should be upheld, and that all countries' endeavors to promote economic and social development and improve their people's lives should be respected. "

While addressing the General Assembly, President Xi Jinping also announced a decision to establish a 10-year, 1 billion US dollar China-UN peace and development fund to support the UN's work.

"I wish to announce that China will join the new UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System and has thus decided to take the lead in setting up a permanent peacekeeping police squad and build a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops. I also wish to announce that China will provide a total of 100 million of free military assistance to the African Union in the next five years to support the establishment of the African Standby Force and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis."

In regards of the international order, the Chinese President has stressed the country's determination to stay committed to the path of development through cooperation.

"China was the first country to put its signature on the UN Charter. We will continue to uphold the international order and system underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China will continue to stand together with other developing countries, especially African countries, in the international governance system. China's vote in the United Nations will always belong to the developing countries."

In addition to Chinese President Xi Jinping, other state leaders such as US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have all addressed to the General Assembly.

The general debate session will last for about 6 days.