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Why Xi Jinping skipped the UN after his Trump summit
South China Morning Post • • general
Key Points:
- Han Zheng, China's vice-president, urged major countries at the UN General Assembly to respect Middle Eastern nations' sovereignty and security and to work towards a two-state solution for the Palestinian issue, implicitly criticizing the US and Israel.
- Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping typically only attends the UN General Assembly for major anniversaries, suggesting his absence this year was a missed opportunity.
- Since 2012, Xi has attended the UNGA in person only once, in 2015 for the 70th anniversary, while other years saw representation by senior Chinese officials such as Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
- During the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, Xi appeared via video, and last year Premier Li Qiang spoke on China's behalf at the 80th anniversary session.
