[ad_1]
Image source
REUTERS
President Trump’s speech came in the form of a prerecorded letter
The tensions between the United States and China were highlighted at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, when US President Donald Trump blamed China for the spread of the Corona virus.
He called for holding China responsible for the epidemic and “holding it responsible” for it.
In his speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his country “does not intend to enter a cold war with any country.”
Relations between the two world powers are tense on several fronts.
By default, this year’s summit is held in New York, where world leaders deliver prerecorded speeches.
China has “transmitted the infection” to the world
“We must hold accountable the nation that unleashed this plague on the world: China,” Trump said.
He added: “In the early days of the virus, China closed travel domestically, while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. China condemned the travel ban it imposed on its countries, while banning domestic travel. and locks up citizens in their homes. “
Trump, whose approach to dealing with the coronavirus is under close scrutiny as the United States approaches elections, has often accused Beijing of covering up the virus, saying they could have stopped the spread of the disease. China described the attacks as an unfounded distraction.
The death toll in the United States from the Corona virus, which is about 200,000, is the highest in the world.
Tension is reported to be high between the United States and China over a number of issues, including trade, technology, Hong Kong and China’s treatment of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who spoke shortly after the US president’s speech, warned of the dangers of what he described as a “clash of civilizations.”
“We will continue to reduce differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation,” said President Xi. “We will not seek to develop only ourselves or play a zero-sum game.”
The sessions of the United Nations General Assembly were opened with a speech by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who warned, without mentioning China or the United States by name, saying that “we must do everything possible to avoid the outbreak of a new cold war “.
“We are moving in a very dangerous direction. Our world cannot afford a future in which the two largest economies divide the world so that each has its own commercial, financial, Internet and artificial intelligence capabilities.” Guterres said.
He also said there is no room for self-interest in dealing with the Corona virus, “Populism and nationalism have failed. These two approaches to containing the virus have often made things worse.”
As for Trump, he presented a completely different view in his speech, saying, “Only when you care about your citizens will you find the right basis for cooperation.”
In other letters:
- French President Emmanuel Macron said the world’s future should not be limited to competition between the United States and China, and called for a “new consensus” to meet global challenges.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he wants to hold an online conference as soon as possible to discuss global cooperation on vaccines and ways to administer them.
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rejected criticism of his country’s environmental policies, saying that Brazil had been the victim of a “brutal disinformation campaign.” The Amazon rainforest is currently experiencing its worst fires in years
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a “candid” dialogue on the growing dispute with Greece over energy resources in the Mediterranean.
