BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks Wednesday with visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on closer cooperation between China and the United Nations, as well as regional and international issues of common concern.

Yang hailed Ban's participation at the opening ceremony of the upcoming fifth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC),according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Yang said China has always supported the United Nations to play an important role in international affairs, and is ready to cooperate with the world body and the secretary-general so as to contribute more to world peace and development, it said.

Ban expressed deep appreciation for China's leadership and active participation in the United Nations, said a document released by Ban's spokesperson.

In particularly, Ban thanked China for its steadfast contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, which China has contributed more than 2,000 peacekeepers.

The two sides also discussed the Syrian issue and other regional and international issues.

Ban was in the Chinese capital Tuesday evening for a three-day official visit to the country. This is his fifth visit to China since he took office in 2007, and the first one since he got re-elected as the UN chief in June 2011.