In case you missed it, the first virtual UN General Assembly was held today, with most world leaders addressing the assembly remotely.
Here is a super short synopsis of the speeches by trump and Xi.
trump’s speech: www.whitehouse.gov/...
- Seventy-five years after the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, we are once again engaged in a great global struggle - the China virus
- We must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China
- The Chinese government and the World Health Organization — which is virtually controlled by China — falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Later, they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease.
- In the United States, we launched the most aggressive mobilization since the Second World War.
- We rapidly produced a record supply of ventilators
- China dumps millions and millions of tons of plastic and trash into the oceans
- Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America, and I will not stand for it.
- America will always be a leader in human rights. My administration is advancing religious liberty, opportunity for women, the decriminalization of homosexuality, combatting human trafficking, and protecting unborn children.
- We revitalized the NATO Alliance
- Some Iran bashing …
- We spent $2.5 trillion over the last four years on our military.
- American prosperity is the bedrock of freedom and security all over the world
- I am proudly putting America first, just as you should be putting your countries first.
- More boastful lies …
- China Bad, MAGA Good
Note: trump was braying just last night at his MAGA rally in Ohio that “The virus affects elderly people. Elderly people with heart problems and other problems. If they have other problems, that’s what it really affects. That’s it.”
And we are in a “great global struggle” against this silly impotent virus?
It’s just mindless fluff aimed at his clueless base.
Xi’s speech: news.cgtn.com/...
- Mankind has never been so powerfully capable to overcome the difficulties we face and change the world we live in
- The 75 years since the founding of the UN has been a period of rapid development of multilateralism.
- The sudden attack of COVID-19 is a grave test for the entire world. Mankind has entered a new era of interconnectedness, with countries sharing intertwined interests and their future closely linked together. Global threats and global challenges require strong, global responses.
- No country has the right to dominate global affairs, control the destiny of others, or keep advantages in development all to itself. Even less should one be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world. Unilateralism is a dead end
- The UN must uphold the rule of law. Relations among countries and coordination of their interests must only be based on rules and institutions; they must not be lorded over by those who wave a strong fist at others.
- The UN must promote cooperation. To promote cooperation among countries is a founding mission of the UN and an important purpose spelt out in the UN Charter. Cold War mentality, ideological lines or zero-sum game are no solution to a country's own problem, still less an answer to mankind's common challenges.
- The UN must focus on real action. To put into practice the principle of multilateralism, we must act, not just talk. There must be a cure, not just a therapy. The UN should aim at problem solving and move toward tangible outcomes as it advances security, development and human rights in parallel.
- China will continue to be a true follower of multilateralism. It will stay actively engaged in reforming and developing the global governance system. It will firmly uphold the UN-centered international system, firmly uphold the international order underpinned by international law, and firmly defend the UN's central role in international affairs.
Macron had a few choice words to add on multilateralism:
- The world today cannot be reduced to the rivalry between China and the United States, irrespective of the global weight of these great powers
- The US strategy of applying maximum pressure on Iran has failed
- This is why France, along with its German and British partners, will maintain its demand for the full implementation of the 2015 Vienna Agreement and will not accept the violations committed by Iran
- Multilateralism is not just an act of faith, it is an operational necessity. However, we can no longer be satisfied with a multilateralism of words which only allows fundamentally to accept the greatest common denominator, a way of hiding deep differences under a facade consensus.
- We must change the method, reverse the terms of the contract, be as loud and clear when some people pride themselves on adhering to alliances and their principles, to organizations and their principles, only to trample on them in reality.
In summary -
trump’s speech was a short 7-minute speech, simplistic and juvenile in nature, something a tinpot dictator from a third world country might give.
Xi, no virtuous hero himself, was more in tune with these times, more polished and ready to play leader on the world stage.
There are videos of the addresses on twitter. I will not post them here.
In 4 years, the U.S. has given up its world leadership role and the void is being filled by China.
Hopefully, all this will change when Democrats win the White House and Congress in a few weeks. Let’s keep working to make that happen.