China pushing to be more active in region, global diplomacy

China says it wants a more active role for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an eight-nation grouping dominated by Beijing and Moscow.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said Beijing will work with the other members to "take a clearer stance" on major issues and play a more prominent part in regional cooperation and global economic governance.

In other remarks at his annual news conference, Wang highlighted the role President Xi Jinping plays in China's increasingly active diplomacy and touched on Korean Peninsula tensions.

Wang claimed success for China's proposal for a "dual suspension" of North Korean nuclear activities in return for a suspension of South Korea-U.S. war games.

Wang also indicated he expects more countries would cut formal ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.