UN set to become latest forum for US-China rivalry and Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to address General Assembly
- Chinese President’s address may focus on country’s support for multilateral institutions at a time when Washington is retreating
- Beijing marked body’s 75th anniversary by focusing on importance of international cooperation in facing challenges such as climate change and Covid-19
The worsening tension between the United Nations’ two big funder nations, China and the US, and the Covid-19 pandemic have been hanging over the international organisation’s 75th founding anniversary this year.
As Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are both expected to speak at the UN General Assembly sessions next week, Beijing’s increasing involvement in multilateral institutions at a time when Washington is retreating will be in sharp focus.
China’s foreign ministry released a position paper last week that celebrated the anniversary and which stated Beijing’s stance on international cooperation and major global challenges such as Covid-19 and climate change.
“The 75th anniversary of the UN presents important opportunities. As the world battles Covid-19, it is all the more important to renew the founding mission of the UN, forge international consensus on building a community with a shared future for mankind,” the document said.
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Wayne Tan, associate professor in international politics from the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan, said he expected Xi’s address to the General Assembly to be in line with the position paper, which also criticised certain countries.
