BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Monday said Chinese people have always upheld the authority and sanctity of the United Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China's cooperation with the UN has deepened steadily for the past 50 years.

Xi made the remarks in Beijing at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN.

Xi stressed that China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibility and mission as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, stayed true to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and upheld the central role of the UN in international affairs.

China has stood actively for political settlement of disputes through peaceful means, said Xi, adding that it has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping operations, and is now the second largest financial contributor to both the UN and its peacekeeping operations.