China calls for 'anti-hegemony' before the United Nations

Vice President Han Zheng's speech at the United Nations General Assembly was delivered without mentioning the United States by name, instead using a series of common phrases to criticize Washington.

Vice President Han Zheng stressed: "China opposes hegemony, power politics , unilateralism and Cold War mentality. A small number of countries have arbitrarily imposed unilateral and illegal sanctions, seriously eroding the harmony and stability of international relations. The international community should jointly oppose such actions."

Trung Quốc kêu gọi chống bá quyền trước Liên Hiệp Quốc - Ảnh 1.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng speaks at the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: AP

In his 15-minute speech, Han Zheng highlighted China's three "global" initiatives - which form the backbone of the country's alternative vision - including the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).

The GSI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in April last year and expanded in a report 10 months later, calling for an alternative international order to Washington's "rules-based" approach.

The GDI was announced at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and promotes the idea of " peace through development" in parallel with the United Nations' 2030 sustainable development goals.

The third pillar focuses on “civilization,” promoting a nation-centered value system that eliminates “common values”—including human rights , democracy, and community empowerment—as defined by many Western countries.

Along with President Joe Biden's speech on September 19, Mr. Han's speech reflected many key issues in the US-China competition to win support from developing countries.

Ms. Taylah Bland, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, commented that China is really trying to exploit and enhance the voices of 152 developing countries.

“China is trying to become an alternative to the American world order,” she added. “But exactly how to achieve that is not yet laid out.”

However, the impact of China’s message on September 21 was dampened by the absence of President Xi Jinping. Xi last appeared at the UN General Assembly via videoconference in 2021, when he called for improved global governance and genuine multilateralism.

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