China welcomes the appointment of a candidate from a developing country to the position of Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said?on Tuesday.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed Costa Rican Christiana Figueres as the new head of the UNFCCC.

As the negotiations for the Bali Roadmap now enter a critical phase, China hopes to work with the new head of the UNFCCC to promote international talks on climate changes, Ma said at a regular press conference.

"Climate change issues are closely related to world development, especially the development of poor countries," he added.

Figueres will succeed outgoing Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, who announced in February he would step down.