Remarks by Mr Trump and Mr Xi to the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly-- Transcript and Brief Reactions

Pix Credit: U.S.-China Rift Worries World Leaders at the United Nations

As is customary at this event, a number of important (or self important) world leaders appear before the United Nations at the commencement of the United Nations General Assembly annual session.  This year marks the 75th such session.  It was most interesting (as these events tend to be) for what either the leaders of worrisome states, or those of flashpoints, have to say.  But almost always, the session speeches are most interesting for what the leaders of the hegemonic powers have to say.  This year the speeches were particularly interesting as people gauge the extent (or at least the public theatre) of the rift in relations between the great emerging imperial powers of the second quarter of the 21st century--the United States and China.

 

This year has not disappointed. The leaders of both empires delivered the sort f gesture calculated to set the tone for official (and we are unaware of the reality of back door relations)  between two powers once so very very close to an alignment which would have dominated the world and now sorting through a divorce (what is described as decoupling of economies--but not just economies) through which each empire will set claims to specific aspects or manifestations of global production (note here the reluctance to speak of this in 20th century terms tied to territory, a coupling that is itself obsolete). However, each empire will do more than that--each is now reconstituting its economic-political model on oral terms and reworking the manifestation of that moral system i their respective internal and external relations (see discussion: CPE EmpireSeries (42 essays). 

 

Despite their outward differences, the remarks of the two leaders are remarkably similar in tone and focus.  Each is necessarily self centered, in the sense that they focus on the experiences of the imperial center from which insights and lessons may be drawn of utility to the world.  That is, of course, the essence of the New Era in the historical development of the United States as a leader of the liberal democratic camp, as well as of China as the leader of the Marxist Leninist camp.  Both appear quite self conscious of the reality of the passing of the old eras of each--for China that of the era of Deng Xiaoping's Reform and Opening Up tied to the objectives of Socialist Modernization through the harnessing of markets.  For the United States, the transition away from the single minded sense that it was the example of the  power of a will to self overcoming (to invoke Nietzsche indirectly) by a which a state could become the world by disappearing within it and at the center of a complex web of cultural, migratory, economic, social and cultural globalization. This was the era of globalized multilateralism whose highest forms of manifestation were in evidence in the last years of the Obama Administration. (discussed e.g., here, here, here). In their place Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump offer the world a choice of empire--either that of America First or that of the Belt and Road Imitative.  n each case the structure is the same--the empire at the center with spokes extending outward from the center.  In both cases each offers a win win relationship, but one guided by the leadership of the center  In the Case of China that is a necessary extension of Leninism;  in the case of the United States it is a necessary projection of the universal values that the United States embodies (embraced in quite distinct ways by ts warring elites to be sure, but all the same for that). 

Each of the empires is quite aware, as well, of the power of the other.  The differences in the speeches may reflect, in that sense, a difference in rhetorical form inherent in the political-economic ideology from which each is situated.  Mr. Trump speaks the language of the common law--of property and of the harm principle (a principle that is embraced by both hard left and hard right, though with different emphasis--for the left the harm is to individuals and the basis human rights, for the hard right it is to property and the basis due process). It is in this sense that one can approach those (large) portions of the speech devoted to an indictment of China, a discursive approach already used by the President (e.g., J'Accuse: President Trump's Letter to WHO Threatening De-Funding). Mr. Xi speaks the language of vanguard leadership; he speaks of collective leadership.  His is the approach of democratic centralism under the leadership of China as a vanguard state, which itself is guided by a vanguard (Communist) Party. This is the language of collective work toward common goals that further economic, social, and cultural welfare as such may be determined through the vanguard. And indeed, the remarks serve as a means of China offering itself as the leading force of the global vanguard  exemplified by its triumph against pandemic. 

In the end, Mr. Trump would break the world, or at least break dramatically from the old era, to build the foundation of a new one, one which reverts to the state as the baseline. In its place he proposes a new era (with the United States at its center) reflecting the apotheosis of the market in which states are the principal stakeholders.

For decades, the same tired voices proposed the same failed solutions, pursuing global ambitions at the expense of their own people. But only when you take care of your own citizens will you find a true basis for cooperation. As President, I have rejected the failed approaches of the past, and I am proudly putting America first, just as you should be putting your countries first. That’s okay — that’s what you should be doing.

Mr Xi also offers a similar vision of the future.  But where Mr. Trump speaks of breaks, Mr. Xi speaks to scientific and rational progress--to an evolution that must be guided by the leading global (state) forces. It is not to the apotheosis of the market but rather to the  rational ordering of the world through vanguard guidance that the new era will emerge.  Mr. Xi speaks, then, to the apotheosis of his own state and of the leadership of its vanguard. 

The baton of history has been passed to our generation, and we must make the right choice, a choice worthy of the people's trust and of our times. Let us join hands to uphold the values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all of us and build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone.

In the end, and for the rest of the world, the messages appears remarkably aligned. It is not clear that that is a way back from this moment of transformation.  And the way forward appears quite murky indeed.

 

The Transcript of the Speeches follows below (also included is a transcript of the remarks of Mr. Trump keyed to the timing of its delivery, with thanks to Rev.com from which it is cross posted):

 

 

Remarks by President Trump to the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Foreign Policy

Issued on: September 22, 2020

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The White House

PRESIDENT TRUMP: It is my profound honor to address the United Nations General Assembly.

Seventy-five years after the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, we are once again engaged in a great global struggle. We have waged a fierce battle against the invisible enemy — the China virus — which has claimed countless lives in 188 countries.

In the United States, we launched the most aggressive mobilization since the Second World War. We rapidly produced a record supply of ventilators, creating a surplus that allowed us to share them with friends and partners all around the globe. We pioneered life-saving treatments, reducing our fatality rate 85 percent since April.

Thanks to our efforts, three vaccines are in the final stage of clinical trials. We are mass-producing them in advance so they can be delivered immediately upon arrival.

We will distribute a vaccine, we will defeat the virus, we will end the pandemic, and we will enter a new era of unprecedented prosperity, cooperation, and peace.

As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China.

In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. China condemned my travel ban on their country, even as they cancelled domestic flights and locked citizens in their homes.

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. Later, they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease.

The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.

In addition, every year, China dumps millions and millions of tons of plastic and trash into the oceans, overfishes other countries’ waters, destroys vast swaths of coral reef, and emits more toxic mercury into the atmosphere than any country anywhere in the world. China’s carbon emissions are nearly twice what the U.S. has, and it’s rising fast. By contrast, after I withdrew from the one-sided Paris Climate Accord, last year America reduced its carbon emissions by more than any country in the agreement.

Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America, and I will not stand for it.

If the United Nations is to be an effective organization, it must focus on the real problems of the world. This includes terrorism, the oppression of women, forced labor, drug trafficking, human and sex trafficking, religious persecution, and the ethnic cleansing of religious minorities.

America will always be a leader in human rights. My administration is advancing religious liberty, opportunity for women, the decriminalization of homosexuality, combatting human trafficking, and protecting unborn children.

We also know that American prosperity is the bedrock of freedom and security all over the world. In three short years, we built the greatest economy in history, and we are quickly doing it again. Our military has increased substantially in size. We spent $2.5 trillion over the last four years on our military. We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close.

We stood up to decades of China’s trade abuses. We revitalized the NATO Alliance, where other countries are now paying a much more fair share. We forged historic partnerships with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to stop human smuggling. We are standing with the people of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela in their righteous struggle for freedom.

We withdrew from the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal and imposed crippling sanctions on the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. We obliterated the ISIS caliphate 100 percent; killed its founder and leader, al-Baghdadi; and eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani.

This month, we achieved a peace deal between Serbia and Kosovo. We reached a landmark breakthrough with two peace deals in the Middle East, after decades of no progress. Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain all signed a historic peace agreement in the White House, with many other Middle Eastern countries to come. They are coming fast, and they know it’s great for them and it’s great for the world.

These groundbreaking peace deals are the dawn of the new Middle East. By taking a different approach, we have achieved different outcomes — far superior outcomes. We took an approach, and the approach worked. We intend to deliver more peace agreements shortly, and I have never been more optimistic for the future of the region. There is no blood in the sand. Those days are, hopefully, over.

As we speak, the United States is also working to end the war in Afghanistan, and we are bringing our troops home. America is fulfilling our destiny as peacemaker, but it is peace through strength. We are stronger now than ever before. Our weapons are at an advanced level like we’ve never had before — like, frankly, we’ve never even thought of having before. And I only pray to God that we never have to use them.

For decades, the same tired voices proposed the same failed solutions, pursuing global ambitions at the expense of their own people. But only when you take care of your own citizens will you find a true basis for cooperation. As President, I have rejected the failed approaches of the past, and I am proudly putting America first, just as you should be putting your countries first. That’s okay — that’s what you should be doing.

I am supremely confident that next year, when we gather in person, we will be in the midst of one of the greatest years in our history — and frankly, hopefully, in the history of the world.

Thank you. God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless the United Nations.

END

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Presidents Trump's Remarks keyed to delivery cross posted from Rev.com

 

President Trump: (03:22)
It is my profound honor to address the United Nations General Assembly 75 years after the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, we are once again, engaged in a great global struggle. We have waged a fierce battle against the invisible enemy, the China virus, which has claimed countless lives in 188 countries. In the United States, we launched the most aggressive mobilization since the second world war, we rapidly produced a record supply of ventilators, creating a surplus that allowed us to share them with friends and partners all around the globe. We pioneered lifesaving treatments, reducing our fatality rate 85% since April. Thanks to our efforts, three vaccines are in the final stage of clinical trials. We are mass producing them in advance so they can be delivered immediately upon arrival, we will distribute a vaccine. We will defeat the virus. We will end the pandemic and we will enter a new era of unprecedented prosperity, cooperation and peace.

President Trump: (04:37)
As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation, which unleashed this plague onto the world, China. In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. China condemned my travel ban on their country. Even as they canceled domestic flights and locked citizens in their homes, 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. Later they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease, the United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions. In addition, every year, China dumps millions and millions of tons of plastic and trash into the oceans, over fishes other countries waters, destroys vast swaths of coral reef and admits more toxic mercury into the atmosphere than any country, anywhere in the world.

President Trump: (05:48)
China’s carbon emissions are nearly twice what the US has and it’s rising fast. By contrast, after I withdrew from the one sided Paris Climate Accord, last year, America reduced its carbon emissions by more than any country in the agreement, those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America and I will not stand for it. If the United Nations is to be an effective organization, it must focus on the real problems of the world. This includes terrorism, the oppression of women, forced labor, drug trafficking, human and sex trafficking, religious persecution, and the ethnic cleansing of religious minorities. America will always be a leader in human rights. My administration is advancing religious liberty, opportunity for women, the decriminalization of homosexuality, combating human trafficking and protecting unborn children. We also know that American prosperity is the bedrock of freedom and security all over the world.

President Trump: (07:04)
In three short years, we built the greatest economy in history and we are quickly doing it again. Our military has increased substantially in size. We spent $2.5 trillion over the last four years on our military. We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. We stood up to decades of China’s trade abuses. We revitalize the NATO Alliance where other countries are now paying a much more fair share. We forged historic partnerships with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to stop human smuggling. We are standing with the people of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela in their righteous struggle for freedom. We withdrew from the terrible Iran nuclear deal and opposed crippling sanctions of the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. We obliterated the ISIS caliphate 100%, killed its founder and leader Al-Baghdadi and eliminated the world’s top terrorists Qasem Soleimani. This month we achieved a peace deal between Serbia and Kosovo.

President Trump: (08:17)
We reached a landmark breakthrough with two peace deals in the middle East after decades of no progress, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain all signed a historic peace agreement in the White House with many other middle Eastern countries to come. They are coming fast and they know it’s great for them, and it’s great for the world. These groundbreaking peace deals at the dawn of the new Middle East, by taking a different approach, we have achieved different outcomes, far superior outcomes. We took an approach and the approach worked. We intend to deliver more peace agreements shortly, and I have been more optimistic for the future of the region. There is no blood in the sand. Those days are hopefully over. As we speak, the United States is also working to end the war in Afghanistan. And we are bringing our troops home. America is fulfilling our destiny as peacemaker, but it is peace through strength.

President Trump: (09:16)
We are stronger now than ever before. Our weapons are at an advanced level like we’ve never had before, like frankly, we’ve never even thought of having before. And I only pray to God that we never have to use them. For decades, the same tired voices proposed the same failed solutions, pursuing global ambitions at the expense of their own people. But only when you take care of your own citizens, would you find a true basis for cooperation. As president, I have rejected the failed approaches of the past, and I am proudly putting America first, just as you should be putting your countries first. That’s okay. That’s what you should be doing. I am supremely confident that next year when we gather in person, we will be in the midst of one of the greatest years in our history, and frankly, hopefully in the history of the world. Thank you, God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless the United Nations.

 

__________

Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People's Republic of China
At the General Debate of the 75th Session of
The United Nations General Assembly

Beijing, 22 September 2020

Mr. President,
Colleagues,

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations (UN). Yesterday, the high-level meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the UN was held. The meeting was a significant one, as it reaffirmed our abiding commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter on the basis of reviewing the historical experience and lessons of the World Anti-Fascist War.

Mr. President,

We humans are battling COVID-19, a virus that has ravaged the world and has kept resurging. In this fight, we have witnessed the efforts of governments, dedication of medical workers, exploration of scientists, and perseverance of the public. People of different countries have come together. With courage, resolve and compassion which lit the dark hour, we have confronted the disaster head on. The virus will be defeated. Humanity will win this battle!

- Facing the virus, we should put people and life first. We should mobilize all resources to make a science-based and targeted response. No case should be missed and no patient should be left untreated. The spread of the virus must be contained.

- Facing the virus, we should enhance solidarity and get this through together. We should follow the guidance of science, give full play to the leading role of the World Health Organization, and launch a joint international response to beat this pandemic. Any attempt of politicizing the issue or stigmatization must be rejected.

- Facing the virus, we should adopt comprehensive and long-term control measures. We should reopen businesses and schools in an orderly way, so as to create jobs, boost the economy, and restore economic and social order and vitality. The major economies need to step up macro policy coordination. We should not only restart our own economies, but also contribute to global recovery.

- Facing the virus, we should show concern for and accommodate the need of developing countries, especially African countries. The international community needs to take timely and robust measures in such fields as debt relief and international assistance, ensure the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and help these countries overcome their difficulties.

Seventy-five years ago, China made historic contributions to winning the World Anti-Fascist War and supported the founding of the United Nations. Today, with the same sense of responsibility, China is actively involved in the international fight against COVID-19, contributing its share to upholding global public health security. Going forward, we will continue to share our epidemic control practices as well as diagnostics and therapeutics with other countries, provide support and assistance to countries in need, ensure stable global anti-epidemic supply chains, and actively participate in the global research on tracing the source and transmission routes of the virus. At the moment, several COVID-19 vaccines developed by China are in Phase III clinical trials. When their development is completed and they are available for use, these vaccines will be made a global public good, and they will be provided to other developing countries on a priority basis. China will honor its commitment of providing US$2 billion of international assistance over two years, further international cooperation in such fields as agriculture, poverty reduction, education, women and children, and climate change, and support other countries in restoring economic and social development.

Mr. President,

The history of development of human society is a history of our struggles against all challenges and difficulties and our victories over them. At present, the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic as it goes through profound changes never seen in a century. Yet, peace and development remain the underlying trend of the times, and people everywhere crave even more strongly for peace, development and win-win cooperation. COVID-19 will not be the last crisis to confront humanity, so we must join hands and be prepared to meet even more global challenges.

First, COVID-19 reminds us that we are living in an interconnected global village with a common stake. All countries are closely connected and we share a common future. No country can gain from others' difficulties or maintain stability by taking advantage of others' troubles. To pursue a beggar-thy-neighbor policy or just watch from a safe distance when others are in danger will eventually land one in the same trouble faced by others. This is why we should embrace the vision of a community with a shared future in which everyone is bound together. We should reject attempts to build blocs to keep others out and oppose a zero-sum approach. We should see each other as members of the same big family, pursue win-win cooperation, and rise above ideological disputes and do not fall into the trap of "clash of civilizations". More importantly, we should respect a country's independent choice of development path and model. The world is diverse in nature, and we should turn this diversity into a constant source of inspiration driving human advancement. This will ensure that human civilizations remain colorful and diversified.

Second, COVID-19 reminds us that economic globalization is an indisputable reality and a historical trend. Burying one's head in the sand like an ostrich in the face of economic globalization or trying to fight it with Don Quixote's lance goes against the trend of history. Let this be clear: The world will never return to isolation, and no one can sever the ties between countries. We should not dodge the challenges of economic globalization. Instead, we must face up to major issues such as the wealth gap and the development divide. We should strike a proper balance between the government and the market, fairness and efficiency, growth and income distribution, and technology and employment so as to ensure full and balanced development that delivers benefit to people from all countries, sectors and backgrounds in an equitable way. We should pursue open and inclusive development, remain committed to building an open world economy, and uphold the multilateral trading regime with the World Trade Organization as the cornerstone. We should say no to unilateralism and protectionism, and work to ensure the stable and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains.

Third, COVID-19 reminds us that humankind should launch a green revolution and move faster to create a green way of development and life, preserve the environment and make Mother Earth a better place for all. Humankind can no longer afford to ignore the repeated warnings of Nature and go down the beaten path of extracting resources without investing in conservation, pursuing development at the expense of protection, and exploiting resources without restoration. The Paris Agreement on climate change charts the course for the world to transition to green and low-carbon development. It outlines the minimum steps to be taken to protect the Earth, our shared homeland, and all countries must take decisive steps to honor this Agreement. China will scale up its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions by adopting more vigorous policies and measures. We aim to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. We call on all countries to pursue innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all, seize the historic opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, achieve a green recovery of the world economy in the post-COVID era and thus create a powerful force driving sustainable development.

Fourth, COVID-19 reminds us that the global governance system calls for reform and improvement. COVID-19 is a major test of the governance capacity of countries; it is also a test of the global governance system. We should stay true to multilateralism and safeguard the international system with the UN at its core. Global governance should be based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint cooperation and shared benefits so as to ensure that all countries enjoy equal rights and opportunities and follow the same rules. The global governance system should adapt itself to evolving global political and economic dynamics, meet global challenges and embrace the underlying trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation. It is natural for countries to have differences. What's important is to address them through dialogue and consultation. Countries may engage in competition, but such competition should be positive and healthy in nature. When in competition, countries should not breach the moral standard and should comply with international norms. In particular, major countries should act like major countries. They should provide more global public goods, take up their due responsibilities and live up to people's expectations.

Mr. President,

Since the start of this year, we, the 1.4 billion Chinese, undaunted by the strike of COVID-19, and with the government and the people united as one, have made all-out efforts to control the virus and speedily restore life and economy to normalcy. We have every confidence to achieve our goals within the set time frame, that is, to finish the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, lift out of poverty all rural residents living below the current poverty line, and meet ten years ahead of schedule the poverty eradication target set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China is the largest developing country in the world, a country that is committed to peaceful, open, cooperative and common development. We will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence. We have no intention to fight either a Cold War or a hot war with any country. We will continue to narrow differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation. We do not seek to develop only ourselves or engage in a zero-sum game. We will not pursue development behind closed doors. Rather, we aim to foster, over time, a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. This will create more space for China's economic development and add impetus to global economic recovery and growth.

China will continue to work as a builder of global peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. To support the UN in playing its central role in international affairs, I hereby announce the following steps to be taken by China:

- China will provide another US$50 million to the UN COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan.

- China will provide US$50 million to the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund (Phase III).

- China will extend the Peace and Development Trust Fund between the UN and China by five years after it expires in 2025.

- China will set up a UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center and an International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Mr. President,

Colleagues,

The baton of history has been passed to our generation, and we must make the right choice, a choice worthy of the people's trust and of our times. Let us join hands to uphold the values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all of us and build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone.