UN chief warns against 'new Cold War'

United Nations, United States

THE UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the world to prevent a Cold War between the United States and China and halt conflicts so it can focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We must do everything to avoid a new Cold War," Mr Guterres said in an address as he opened an almost entirely virtual UN General Assembly.

"We are moving in a very 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, without saying the United States and China by name.

Tensions have soared between the United States and China in recent months, with President Donald Trump blaming Beijing for the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed some 950,000 lives around the world and cast a shadow over his re-election bid.

Mr Guterres has campaigned for an end to all violent conflicts as the world instead focuses on stopping the disease.

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He pointed to some partial successes including ceasefires declared in Cameroon, Colombia and Cameroon.

He pressed for a universal ceasefire by the end of the year.

"I appeal for a stepped-up international effort - led by the Security Council - to achieve a global ceasefire by the end of this year," Mr Guterres said.

"We have 100 days. The clock is ticking." Mr Guterres also offered open criticism of right-wing movements in the face of the coronavirus.

"Populism and nationalism have failed. Those approaches to contain the virus have often made things manifestly worse."

President Donald Trump assailed China for the coronavirus pandemic later in a speech on Tuesday aimed squarely at US voters, calling on the international body to punish Beijing.

"In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. The Chinese government, and the World Health Organization - which is virtually controlled by China - falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission," Mr Trump said in a recorded message played to the annual meeting of the UN,.

"The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions," he said.

Mr Trump has ramped up US tensions with Beijing in recent months in an attempt to portray himself as tougher toward the country's leaders than his re-election opponent, former vice-president Joe Biden, and to deflect blame for the US coronavirus outbreak, the largest in the world.

Mr Biden has accused Mr Trump of turning a blind eye to the virus's spread from China as he sought to close his so-called "phase one" trade deal with Beijing in January.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in his speech said that Beijing has "no intention to fight either a Cold War or a hot one with any country".

"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 zero-sum game," Mr Xi said in a pre-recorded video statement.

Earlier ahead of his speech Mr Xi said no country should "be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world."

Pushing for developing countries to have a greater role in world affairs, Mr Xi said the UN could be "more balanced" and called for the "international order underpinned by international law," the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing remarks made at a meeting commemorating the world body's 75th anniversary. He said countries must not be "lorded over by those who wave a strong fist at others." AFP, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS