On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech via video link at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021. The forum’s 20th edition is being held in Boao, in south China’s Hainan Province, from April 18 to 21.
In comments that come across as thinly veiled references to the United States (US), Xi said that in the modern world, there is no place for hegemony or unilateralism and that the world must together denounce the “new Cold War mentality”. “When countries get along with each other, we must put equality, mutual respect and mutual trust in the forefront, and it is unpopular to arrogantly instruct other countries and interfere in internal affairs… The world wants justice, not hegemony,” he added.
Xi further stated that “global governance should reflect the evolving political and economic landscape in the world” and “conform to the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and meet the practical needs in addressing global challenges.” He also said that countries must “follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold true multilateralism, and make the global governance system more fair and equitable.”
China has previously accused the US of attempting to create a “new Cold War” and both powers have engaged in constant rhetorical overtures that have further escalated tensions between the two. In an August interview with Xinhua, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “some American politicians who are biased against and hostile to China are using their power to smear China with fabrications and impede normal ties with China under various pretexts.” Wang further explained that such attempts would harm the interests of both nations and stressed that “anyone who tries to start a so-called “new Cold War” in the 21st century will be on the wrong side of history”. Cracks in US-China relations continue to deepen, with both sides at loggerheads over China’s aggressions in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as their longstanding trade war.
The annual BFA conference, which began on Sunday, is being hosted by China this year. It is the world’s first large-scale on-site international conference of the year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The gathering, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is being attended by more than 2,000 participants and aims to serve as a bridge connecting Asia with the world by promoting regional economic integration and supporting Asian economies in reaching their development goals. This year’s forum is themed “A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation” and focuses on global governance and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with the ultimate goal of reshaping global growth in the post-pandemic era.
Xi Takes Pointed Digs At US’ “Cold War Mentality” in Boao Forum Keynote Address
Speaking virtually at the Boao Forum in Hainan, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a thinly veiled reference to the US when he called on the world to reject a “Cold War mentality”
April 20, 2021
Boao Forum 2018. SOURCE: AFP