UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 31 -- China's urbanization will create important opportunities for the world as it both generates internal demand and expands the market, Beijing's top envoy said here Friday.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at a UN high-level event themed "People-Centered Urbanization" and dedicated to the first-ever "World Cities Day."

Noting that China's urbanization rate has already reached 53.7 percent, a level close to the world average, Liu said China will develop a new type of urbanization that is people-centered, sustainable and highly efficient.

"This entails enormous trade and investment opportunities for all countries and boosts economic development of the world," he said.

Liu also highlighted that China's urbanization leads to wider and deeper cooperation with other countries on sustainable development of cities.

"Enhancing international cooperation is an important way to achieve sustainable development of cities, particularly in developing countries," he said. "Common development of all benefits all."

The idea of World Cities Day was proposed in the Shanghai Declaration issued at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 to advocate the idea of better city, better life. It is the first international day designated by the UN at China's initiative.