Published 12:36 IST, September 23rd 2020
'Great Fracture' clear as Trump's fiery UNGA attack leaves Xi's 'statesmanship' pointless
Tensions were rampant during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Tuesday as the United States and China locked horns during their address
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At the 75th founding anniversary of the United Nations, tensions were rampant during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Tuesday as the United States and China locked horns during their address at the international forum.
"We are once again engaged in a great global struggle, waging an invisible battle against the China virus which has claimed countless lives in 118 countries," said US President Donald Trump, openly hitting out at the Xi Jinping-led Communist country.
Not holding back Trump revealed how China 'allowed international flights to operate months into the pandemic, while they shut down all domestic transport', locking citizens in their homes. "They falsely declared that there was no human-to-human transmission, then they falsely said, that those without symptoms would not spread the disease," he said.
Urging the world to hold China accountable for the pandemic, Trump said, "We must hold the nation accountable for unleashing this plague onto the wold-- China."
Trump also slammed China for unleashing millions of tonnes of plastic into the world seas, adding that its carbon emissions were twice that of the US.
Meanwhile, Trump also told the United Nations that if it intended to be effective, it “must focus on the real problems of the world”: terrorism, the oppression of women, forced labour, drug trafficking, human and sex trafficking, religious persecution, and the ethnic cleansing of religious minorities.
Xi Jinping's faux statesmanship
Xi Jinping on the other hand addressed the COVID-19 pandemic stressing on the need to 'unite' and 'open the world's economies' for inclusive growth. "Mankind is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the efforts of the governments and the perseverance of the people. They have stood together against the catastrophe, it will soon be defeated by mankind," said Xi.
"We have to take into importance, the role of the World Health Organisation(WHO). We also have to oppose any politicisation or stigmatisation facing the pandemic," he said.
Vaguely addressing the rising tensions with the US, Xi said, "We will continue to narrow differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation. We will not seek to develop only ourselves or engage in a zero-sum game."
Xi also added that being the largest emitter of greenhouse gases China aims to hit peak emissions in 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2060.
On the other hand, China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jan present during the virtual address rejected Trump's "baseless accusations." The Ambassador also said that he would file a point-to-point rebuttal of the US President's allegations later in the week.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres touched upon the bitter standoff between the US and China saying that their relationship was moving in a 'dangerous direction.' "Our world cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a Great Fracture, each with its own trade and financial rules and internet and artificial intelligence capacities, he said.
12:36 IST, September 23rd 2020