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Reuters
The US President’s speech came in the form of a prerecorded message.
Tensions between the United States and China came to the fore at the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where US President Donald Trump blamed China for the spread of the coronavirus.
He called for China to be “responsible” for the pandemic.
In his speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his country “had no intention of entering a Cold War with any country.”
Ties between the two world powers are strained on several fronts.
This year’s summit in New York is largely being held virtually, with world leaders delivering prerecorded speeches.
The new format meant that some of the geopolitical theater that is normally offered at the key UN meeting was absent. Each country was represented by a single delegate and there was little opportunity for one nation to rebut another.
But as is often the case with speeches to the assembly, President Trump used his speech to tout his accomplishments and tear apart a rival.
“We must hold the nation that unleashed this plague on the world – China,” he said.
“In the early days of the virus, China blocked travel domestically, while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. China condemned my travel ban to their country, even as they canceled domestic flights and locked up citizens. in their homes, “he added. .
President Trump, whose own coronavirus record is under close scrutiny as the United States heads into elections, has frequently accused Beijing of covering up the virus, saying they could have stopped the spread of the disease. China has called the attacks an unfounded distraction.
The death toll from coronavirus in the United States, of more than 200,000, is the highest in the world and President Trump has often downplayed the disease.
Tensions are high between the United States and China over a number of other issues, including trade, technology, Hong Kong and China’s treatment of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang province.
Speaking shortly after the US leader, President Xi warned of the risks of a “clash of civilizations.”
“We will continue to reduce differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation. We will not seek to develop only ourselves or play zero-sum games,” he said.
In remarks released ahead of Tuesday’s speech, President Xi more openly attacked the United States, saying that “no country has the right to dominate global affairs, control the destiny of others, or reserve development advantages for itself.” China itself has been accused by critics.
Trump Targets American Voters
By Laura Trevelyan, BBC News
This was a stump speech from President Trump, who faces reelection in 40 days. He had Bejing firmly in his sights, blaming what he and his followers call the China virus for taking countless lives.
Trump is trying to divert attention from his own handling of the pandemic by piling up shame on China, while emphasizing America’s efforts to find a cure.
We will end the pandemic, promised the president of the United States, and said that thanks to our efforts, three vaccines are in the final stage of development. To a large extent, Trump included the UN World Health Organization in his criticism of China, saying that the international body, from which he is withdrawing US funds, is practically controlled by China, blaming it for spreading what he called information. wrong about the virus.
This was not a subtle speech. It was a clear attempt to put the blame on, as Americans are already voting in the presidential election.
The assembly was opened by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, who, without naming China or the United States, warned “we must do everything possible to avoid a new Cold War.”
“We are moving in a very dangerous direction,” he said. “Our world cannot afford a future in which the two largest economies divide the world into a great divide, each with its own business and financial rules and artificial intelligence and Internet capabilities.”
He said there was no room for self-interest in the face of the coronavirus. “Populism and nationalism have failed,” he said. “Those approaches to containing the virus have often made things manifestly worse.”
President Trump gave a very different view in his speech, saying that “only when you take care of your own citizens will you find a true basis for cooperation.”
