BEIJING - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has spoken positively of China's efforts and contributions in key areas of migration governance.

Important steps were made in "expanding regular pathways, streamlining visa procedures, integrating new technologies into border management, and enhancing integration support for international migrants," said Li Wen, IOM's chief of mission in China.

Li made the remarks at a workshop held on Wednesday in Beijing to mark the International Migrants Day, observed annually on Dec 18.

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China has also been supporting developing countries under the framework of South-South cooperation to address the drivers of unsafe migration and displacement, including poverty, disasters and climate change, Li said.

Li noted that a whole-of-society approach is gaining ground in China, with businesses and other stakeholders increasingly engaged in migration-related work, citing recent partnerships with Chinese companies on skills training, humanitarian assistance and migrant worker protection.

Addressing the event, Xia Tian, deputy director general of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China is willing to deepen cooperation with the IOM under the Global Governance Initiative, a China-proposed framework that underscores five key principles, namely sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, the people-centered approach and real actions.

China also supports reasonable reforms to enhance the effectiveness of global migration governance, including by strengthening the representation and voice of developing countries, Xia added.

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Lyu Ning, deputy director general of the Department of International Cooperation at the National Immigration Administration, said China has recently rolled out a series of measures to further expand opening up, including improving talent visa policies, streamlining visa services, and improving entry and exit facilitation for foreign nationals.

China is also focusing on the needs of Chinese companies going global, with additional facilitation measures under study to support high-quality foreign trade, Lyu said.

The IOM is the UN Migration Agency and the leading inter-governmental organization in its field. China became a member of the IOM in 2016.