Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

World ‘cannot afford China and US to split the globe’: UN secretary general

World ‘cannot afford China and US to split the globe’: UN secretary general

Despite their deep economic relations with China, some Southeast Asian nations are ‘starting to question whether a Chinese form of governance is palatable’, analyst says.

As China and the United States spar at the United Nations over the coronavirus pandemic and international order, their deepening rivalry has accelerated fears in Asia of a new and more complex cold war.

In their addresses at the mostly virtual UN General Assembly on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump called for China to be held accountable for the global health crisis and urged countries to put themselves first, while Chinese President Xi Jinping criticised the US indirectly for undermining multilateralism.

Other world leaders called for reforms within the UN to address growing geopolitical risks.

UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered a stark warning about the “very dangerous direction” in which the world was moving, likening the moment to the Cold War.


“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.

“A technological and economic divide risks inevitably turning into a geostrategic and military divide. We must avoid this at all costs.”

The contrast between Xi’s long-term vision of global governance with the UN at the centre and Trump’s emphasis on “America first” style policies reflect the widening rift between the major powers that have intensified concerns in Asia.

Smaller countries have tried to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but that is getting harder to do as tensions escalate, with Washington hardening against Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and urging nations to be wary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its telecoms giant Huawei.


Alexander Neill, who runs a strategic advisory consultancy in Singapore , said concerns were accelerating in Southeast Asia, even as countries such as Singapore were still balancing economic ties with China and security relations with the US.

“Many Southeast Asian countries have deep economic relations with China that are inextricable, but many are starting to question whether a Chinese form of governance – governance with Chinese characteristics – is going to be palatable to their societies,” he said.

“Southeast Asian countries have had to think carefully about who has been delivering and who will continue to deliver public goods in the region and in the security domain for the foreseeable future, and I think they see that the US is still the one that can offer those goods.”


UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered a stark warning about the “very dangerous direction” in which the world was moving.


At the United Nations on Tuesday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte repeated the findings of a 2016 tribunal that ruled in favour of Manila and rejected most of Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea. He also referred to Washington’s endorsement of the ruling in July.

Aaron Rabena, a research fellow at the Manila-based think tank Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress, said Duterte’s remarks reflected that he wanted Manila’s claims respected but did not want great power tensions to turn into a hot war.

“For one, the economic stakes in the region are too high, let alone that most countries are still reeling from Covid-19,” he said.

“Another reason is that the Philippines could be entrapped, as it is a defence treaty ally of the United States that accommodates US military presence.

“Not only would an attack on US military forces in the Philippines be deemed as an attack on Philippine soil, but an attack on US forces would oblige the Philippines to render assistance.”

Similarly, concerns have grown in India about China, with calls for a partial decoupling amid the crisis at their disputed Himalayan border.


Madhav Das Nalapat, director of the department of geopolitics and international relations at Manipaul University, said India was reluctant to partner with the US but could find itself aligned with the US against China, in the same way Beijing had partnered Washington against Moscow during the Cold War.

“Should India locate itself within the group of countries that are now on the opposite side of the fence to China, it would be an ideal destination for Taiwanese, US and Japanese companies looking to shift from the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” he said.

Nalapat said there were signs that UN “cannot be taken seriously”, including China’s refusal to allow India to join the UN Security Council, and sidestepping by China and the US of UN resolutions they disagreed with – which added to the risk of military conflict.

“Given the trajectory of China and the resistance to being overshadowed by the US, such a situation seems unavoidable. Cold War 2.0 has begun.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×