Former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas arrived in Beijing on Monday for talks to promote the reform agenda for September's United Nations (UN) summit.

Alatas is one of four envoys named by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on April 4 to assist in promoting the comprehensive reform agenda for the UN summit scheduled for this September.

The other three envoys include Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern of Ireland, former Mozambican President Joaquin Chissano, and former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. 

In related news, Chen Jian, UN under-secretary-general and a native of Shanghai, received an honorary professorship at China's prestigious Fudan University, also his alma mater, on Sunday in Shanghai.

Chen, 63, is currently China's highest-ranking diplomat at the UN. He studied English and culture in Fudan University from 1959 to 1964.

President of Fudan University Wang Shenghong presented Chen with the appointment letter and a university badge.

"This honor realizes a dream I had as a Fudan student," Chen said at the ceremony.

Chen first served as secretary of the Chinese delegation to the UN in 1980, then as director of the Foreign Ministry's Press Department, and was later the Chinese ambassador to Japan.

He began his office as UN under-secretary-general in 2001.  

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2005)