UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday urged China to take a greater role in global affairs and thanked the nation's leaders for supporting him as head of the world body. "The United Nations needs the strong participation, cooperation and partnership of China, and I count on your continuing leadership and cooperation," Ban told Chinese President Hu Jintao. "You have shown great leadership to the world, how when nations and people... are united, you can overcome." He also thanked Hu for helping to get him elected last year as the first UN chief from Asia.