Chinese envoy calls out Trump for eroding institutions, breaking norms

A senior Chinese diplomat implicated the United States on Monday for holding back developing countries and called on Washington to stop tearing down global institutions.

The comments in New York by Fu Cong, Beijing’s ambassador to the United Nations, did not mention the US by name. But his remarks appeared clearly directed at the administration of US President Donald Trump, with its focus on eroding institutions worldwide and breaking norms.

“Unilateralism, driven by some countries, is wearing its ugly hat and yielding severe blows to the authority and effectiveness of multilateralism,” Fu said at a forum sponsored by Beijing at the UN. “Global governance is never about tearing down the current system.”

Since he was inaugurated eight months ago, Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accord and several UN agencies and undercut US alliances, in keeping with his America-first agenda.

The forum, dubbed “Vision China,” was designed to reflect on the “enduring legacy of World War II” and highlight the importance of “multilateralism and peacebuilding in the 21st century”. This came as global leaders descended on New York to attend next week’s gathering of global leaders at the UN General Assembly.

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What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?

What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?

China’s war-related event follows a massive show of force and nationalist pride earlier this month in Beijing that saw leaders from 26 nations attend events hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.