Xi Jinping at UN – Win-Win vs. Force, Partners vs. Alliances

Speaking diplomatically but nonetheless with very pointed barbs, President Xi Jinping presented China’s vision of a win-win partnership among all nations, directly targeting the system of “alliances” championed by Obama as his excuse for perpetual and universal warfare.

Xi used several Chinese sayings to capture the Confucian concept of harmonious cooperation to achieve peace and development. “The past could not be changed, but the future could be shaped,” he said. He condemned the unipolar world as a thing of the past, and said that the geopolitical view “that one’s gains were another’s loss must be rejected.”

He renewed his call for a new form of international relations, one that sought “partnerships rather than alliances.” This makes clear reference to the Obama Administrations repeated threats that they will militarily “defend their allies” in Asia (referring to Japan, the Philippines and South Korea) as their justification for the mass military build up in a ring around China.

Xi also insisted that “Big countries should treat small countries as equals, and justice should be put before interests,” another slap at geopolitics. The Law of the Jungle, he said is not the way. “The use of force only results in lifting a rock to drop on one’s own feet,” he said.

Allowing capital only to seek profit causes crises, he said, resulting in the current vast gap between rich and poor. We must, he said “use both the invisible and the visible hand.”

He emphasized the equality of nations in a win-win approach, offering to “share our development experience with others, to join our express train of development.” He also said that China’s votes in the UN would always be on behalf of the developing countries. He said no civilization was superior to any others, and that each should draw inspiration form the others.

Xi concluded by announcing that China was establishing a 10-year, $100 billion “China Peace Development Fund for the United Nations” — yet another huge Chinese contribution to global development.