US-China Leaders Clash at UN General Assembly

Xi Jinping emphasizes UN role targeting US at high-level meeting ahead of keynote speech on 22nd
Trump: "Will send strong message to China"
Axios: "US-China UN speech duel"
President Moon Jae-in also to speak... Attention on North Korea message

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech via video at the high-level meeting commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, on the 21st (local time). In his speech, President Xi described the COVID-19 pandemic as a severe trial for the entire world and called for international cooperation through multilateralism instead of unilateralism. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min, Beijing=Correspondent Cho Young-shin] U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will clash at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Amid all-out conflicts between the U.S. and China, it is the first time since 2015 that the two leaders will deliver speeches simultaneously at the UN General Assembly, albeit virtually.

On the 21st (local time), President Trump told reporters that he would "send a strong message to China" in his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly. Last year, during his UN keynote speech, Trump also took an offensive stance against China amid U.S.-China trade tensions. Last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended. This year, there is a high possibility that conflicts with China will escalate further, focusing on issues such as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the South China Sea.

In the general debate keynote speeches starting on the 22nd, President Trump and President Xi will speak consecutively. The U.S. internet media Axios described it as "a speech duel between President Trump and President Xi at the UN General Assembly."

President Xi has already attended the 'UN 75th Anniversary High-Level Meeting' virtually, condemning U.S. hegemonism while emphasizing the role of the UN.

Although President Xi did not use the word "America" even once in his speech, the dominant interpretation is that it contained criticism and dissatisfaction toward the U.S. Referring to fairness, Xi said, "It is a demand of the times and the first principle of the UN Charter that large and small countries respect each other and treat each other equally," adding, "No country has the right to monopolize the advantage of development or to act arbitrarily with hegemony, exclusion, or tyranny."

President Xi also said, "Just because someone has a big fist does not mean you should listen to them," and "Relations and interests among countries should be regulated by systems and rules." He continued, "The greater the power, the more it should take the lead in upholding international law and must not distort international law, infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of other countries under the name of the rule of law, or harm international peace." He emphasized the role of the UN, saying, "International cooperation is the original intention of the UN's founding and an important purpose of the UN Charter," and "Instead of conflict, dialogue; instead of threats, negotiation; instead of zero-sum, coexistence?countries should pursue common interests."

This year's UN General Assembly keynote speeches will be held virtually due to COVID-19. Besides President Trump and President Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an will deliver keynote speeches on the first day of the general debate. It is expected that the sharp conflicts among countries will be further highlighted. President Moon Jae-in will also deliver his speech for the tenth time that day. Attention is focused on what message President Moon will deliver regarding North Korea.