(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) The 81st United Nations General Assembly kicked off this Tuesday (September 22). Leaders of nearly 130 countries gathered in New York to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world in their eyes.
However, people have noticed that leaders of some important countries are absent: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Putin, German Chancellor Mertz, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, Indian Prime Minister Modi, etc. did not appear at this year's UN General Assembly meeting.
Generally speaking, those who do not attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting are those who are preoccupied with important matters at home and cannot leave. For example, German Chancellor Mertz, whose CDU lost elections in three federal states in a row: lost power in two states; in the third state, it did not even pass the 5% vote threshold, and was kicked out of the parliament. There were calls within the party for "Merz to step down". Although Mertz himself is very keen on diplomacy on the international stage and even has the informal title of "Diplomatic Prime Minister", at this moment, he believes that he must hold his ground domestically and not give room for opponents within the party to plot to usurp power.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched Foreign Minister Lavrov to New York while he stayed in Russia. As President of Russia, Putin last spoke at the UN General Assembly in 2015. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for war crimes. This may be one of the reasons for his absence from the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this year, although the United States does not recognize the ICC. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also wanted by the ICC, announced that he will attend the UN General Assembly and will deliver a speech on Thursday (September 24).
The one who has attracted the most attention is Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the opening of the UN General Assembly, he is heading to Washington, not far from New York, to hold a separate summit with US President Trump.
On September 22, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Vice President Han Zheng will go to New York from September 24 to 26 to represent China at the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. According to Deutsche Welle's analysis, it is clear that Xi Jinping has prioritized major power diplomacy over multilateralism. In 2021, Xi Jinping attended the UN General Assembly meeting via video, but it was in 2015 that he went to the UN General Assembly in person to speak.
Many heads of state spoke, and international chaos continues to intensify
As head of state, Brazilian President Lula first spoke at this year's general debate session of the United Nations General Assembly. He pointed out that "international chaos is intensifying" and is characterized by "continuous concessions to power politics." Lula criticized that "violations of sovereignty, arbitrary sanctions and unilateral intervention are becoming the norm." He is running for Brazil's next president, stressing that Brazil's democracy and sovereignty are "non-negotiable."
The second person to speak was US President Trump, who advocated promoting international affairs with "America First". He elaborated on the United States' position on Iran, Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Western Hemisphere, criticizing the United Nations and some of its agencies. Trump announced that the United States will further reduce the United Nations budget and positions. He said that the United States will maintain its leading position in the field of artificial intelligence. Trump has criticized the ICC, saying the body does not have legal jurisdiction over the United States and has called on other countries to withdraw from the ICC. He also defended the U.S. military's arrest of Venezuela's president and said he would continue to push for change in Cuba.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, speaking at the UN General Assembly for the first time, declared that the UK will draw lessons from the experience of the past decade, respond to the changing world in the next decade, restore national stability, build a more dynamic economy, trade with the world, and work together to solve common problems. Burnham made it clear that Britain supported Ukraine because Britain would be on the side of the weak. After condemning Hamas for carrying out terrorist attacks on Israel, Burnham said this did not excuse the Israeli government's actions in Gaza or the West Bank, saying the UK would not stand by as the suffering grew and the prospects for a two-state solution were impacted.
French President Macron, who will step down next year, emphasized in the general debate of the UN General Assembly that in the face of the resurgence of the logic of "might makes right", the international community cannot retreat but should adhere to the United Nations Charter, international law and multilateralism. He said that at present, wars and crises are increasing in the world, and the international community must jointly safeguard the right of people of all countries to freely choose their own destiny, development model and future. Macron said that France will continue to support the International Court of Justice and promote the establishment of an international governance framework for artificial intelligence. He criticized "double standards" because it undermines the credibility of the United Nations and the United Nations Charter, pointing out that if it stands idly by on the Gaza issue, the credibility of the international community will be affected.
