Photo taken on Jan. 1, 2018 shows a train during the celebration held at the Lebu station in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. The Chinese-built 756 km electrified rail project connecting landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti officially started commercial operations with a ceremony held in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said here Thursday that China-Africa cooperation is fundamental for Africa's success.

Speaking at a joint interview with Chinese correspondents one day before his trip to Beijing for the upcoming summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Guterres said, "I am a true believer that the success of the world in development and peace depends on Africa's success, and China's cooperation with Africa is fundamental for Africa's success."

The UN chief said the success of African development is largely the success of global development.

He said that China's cooperation with Africa is not only aimed at economic cooperation but also is an important pathway to improve global development patterns, global governance and the healthy development of economic globalization.

"The world is one, the planet is one, we are living in an integrated time, everything is interlocked," Guterres said.

At such a highly integrated time, the world needs to strengthen connectivity through investment in ports, roads, railways and telecommunications, many of which are associated with the Belt and Road Initiative, he added.

The FOCAC Beijing summit, scheduled for Sept. 3-4, will run under the theme: "China and Africa: toward an even stronger community with a shared future through win-win cooperation."

Guterres said China's cooperation with Africa, which is a win-win based model, "is in line with the Agenda 2063 of Africa and 2030 agenda for sustainable development agreed by all UN member countries."

China-Africa cooperation is central to South-South cooperation, which is more and more important in today's world, he added.

Guterres said Africa could benefit from the remarkable success of China's decades of economic reform.

China has become a fundamental pillar for the multilateral world, he said.

As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, China is playing an important role to make the UN essential for world peace and development, he added.