Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged the international community to put aside their differences, warning that history has shown that countries that choose to go it alone “will always fail.”
Speaking via videoconference while addressing the annual World Economic Forum, Xi discussed global challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and the climate emergency.
“As we face the current crisis and do our best to make a better day for everyone, we need to be united and work together,” he said.
“We have been shown time and again that it always fails to beg your neighbor, go alone and end up in arrogant isolation. Let’s all join hands and let multilateralism work our way into a community with a shared future. for humanity, ”Xi added, according to translated comments.
The comments come less than a week after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, with outside onlookers watching closely how a change in US leadership could affect tense diplomatic relations.
Biden is widely expected to continue to put pressure on Beijing on a wide variety of issues, including human rights, trade policy, territorial disputes and questions about China’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Confrontation leads us to a dead end’
Xi spoke at the forum for the first time since 2017 and again promoted a multilateral approach to international affairs.
“To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to impose willful disconnection, disruption or sanctions, and to isolate or alienate. will only divide and even confront the world, “Xi said. without mentioning another nation or head of state.
“We cannot address common challenges in a divided world and confrontation will lead us to a dead end.”
The relationship between China and the US has deteriorated significantly in recent years. Former US President Donald Trump tried to pursue an “America First” approach to foreign policy and regularly clashed with an increasingly assertive China.
President Joe Biden speaks at an event at the White House’s State Dining Room on Jan. 21, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
Biden has already tried to undo some of his predecessor’s policies, signing an executive order on his first day to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and overturn the planned departure of the World Health Organization.
Taiwan
In a move analysts said was designed to test the level of Biden’s support for Taiwan, Chinese Air Force aircraft reportedly entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone for a second consecutive day over the weekend.
China views the democratic and self-governing island of Taiwan as its territory and maintains that it has no right to participate in international diplomacy on its own. Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state.
In the first statement on Taiwan since Biden took power last week, the US State Department reaffirmed its “unwavering” commitment on Saturday to help it defend itself.
The World Economic Forum, which has been criticized in the past for out of touch with reality, is being held online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In May, a physical congregation of business leaders, political thinkers and heads of state will take place in Singapore.