As China takes the gavel at the UN Security Council, its envoy has words for the US
At the start of Beijing's month-long presidency of the United Nations Security Council, a senior Chinese diplomat on Monday outlined a multilateral agenda to appeal to the Global South - but not before he criticised the tariff, Panama Canal and AI policies of the US under Donald Trump.
"I do hope that, despite all the rhetoric that we have heard from the American politicians, we can take a constructive - and I will emphasise a professional - approach to our work here in the United Nations," Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the UN, said.
"There are so many things that need the cooperation of the two countries. Targeting China is not the right way forward."
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Fu said that during its February tenure China planned to address conflicts in the Middle East and Africa as well as UN reform. It would also promote multilateralism, capped by a high-level UN meeting on February 18 that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to attend.
There would also be a marking of the third anniversary on February 24 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said, as well as conflicts to address in Syria, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fu said he did not know whether US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would attend the February 18 meeting in New York - Rubio was sanctioned twice by Beijing in 2020 and Trump has been deeply critical of multilateralism and global governance - but noted that it would be "a very good opportunity for the two foreign ministers to meet".
"As the world enters a new period of turbulence, it is all the more important for countries to reaffirm their commitment to the international system with the UN at its core," Fu told reporters in the UN press room.
"It is our belief that facing the myriad challenges around the world, no country can stay aloof or unaffected," he added in an apparent reference to Washington.
The UN Security Council has 15 members, five permanent and 10 that rotate for two-year terms. Each holds the presidency for a month during which they set agendas, coordinate council actions and decide policy disputes.
China last held the post in November 2023.
Fu condemned the Trump administration for its bid to pressure, possibly militarily, Panama into giving Washington more control over the Panama Canal.
Following a weekend visit by Rubio, Panama City announced it would officially withdraw from China's Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure programme.
"The smear campaign that is launched by the US and some of the other Western countries on the Belt and Road Initiative is totally groundless, and so we will continue with our efforts in the hope that the Global South can work better," said Fu, who has held his current post since April 2024.
Trump has contended that Chinese port operators along the canal, which is an essential cut-through between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, constituted a potential threat to the US and the canal's neutrality.
"The accusations against China [are] totally false," Fu said, insisting Beijing had not participated in the canal's management or operations, that it respected Panama's sovereignty and that it recognised the canal as a permanent, neutral international passage.
Turning to DeepSeek, the Chinese AI language model that has prompted Silicon Valley to question its AI approach and massive investments, Fu noted the Chinese app had led to "commotion or even panic", suggesting the US had been overconfident in its AI leadership.
"This is a lesson that the whole world could learn, in particular the US. And I've said this before, and I'm going to say this again, never ever underestimate the ingenuity of the Chinese scientists and engineers," he said.
Fu added that the "knee-jerk reactions" from some quarters seeking sanctions on or prohibition of DeepSeek were unwarranted.
"Look at Huawei. Look at TikTok, now the DeepSeek. How many more do you want to ban?" he asked.
"The right approach is to open up, and to have cooperation, both on the technological level and actually for the political level as well."
Elise Stefanik during her confirmation hearing as UN ambassador before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Photo: Getty Images/TNS alt=Elise Stefanik during her confirmation hearing as UN ambassador before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Photo: Getty Images/TNS>
Fu, who joined China's foreign ministry in 1987 and has been posted to Geneva, Vienna and Brussels, said he watched the US Senate confirmation hearing for Elise Stefanik, Trump's pick to be UN ambassador.
"I can see that she is a smart lady, articulate and well prepared," Fu said. "I also took note of some of the prejudices and the misconception that [she] has expressed, which we strongly object to."
At her January 21 hearing, Stefanik vowed to contain China's perceived expansionist agenda at the UN, supported Trump's "America-first, peace-through-strength" agenda and called on the US to prioritise bilateral over multilateral relationships.
Fu also condemned the 10 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports that Trump has threatened to impose in retaliation for Chinese involvement in the fentanyl trade.
"There is no winner in the trade war, and we do hope that the US looks at its own problems," he said.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.