President Xi Jinping gave a robust defense of China's ambitions Tuesday in a speech to the UN, warning against the perils of a "clash of civilizations" during a pandemic that has ripped through the world.

In an opening address presaged by a demand by his US counterpart Donald Trump for China to be held "accountable" for the coronavirus outbreak, Xi said global unity was the only way to overcome the crisis.

The world must "oppose politicization and stigmatization" over Covid-19, Xi said in the pre-recorded address, urging world leaders to embrace the "concept of a big family... and avoid falling into the trap of a clash of civilizations."

The US and China are eyeballing each other over a raft of issues: the origins of the coronavirus, trade and tech dominance, security and disputed seas.

The US has called China out over its ambitions to control the strategically pivotal South China Sea as well as for its bid to crush democracy movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

But Xi reassured world leaders his country had no desire for "hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence."

"China has no intention to enter a Cold War with any country," he said, insisting Beijing is instead a bulwark of international systems such as the World Trade Organization and a willing partner in the face of diplomatic spats.

"We insist on dialogue to bridge differences and negotiation to resolve disputes," he added.

China says Trump 'spreading political virus' at UN
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 22, 2020 - China on Tuesday accused Donald Trump of spreading a "political virus" at the United Nations after the US leader delivered a harsh attack on Beijing over the Covid-19 pandemic.

"When the international community is really fighting hard against the Covid-19, the United States is spreading a political virus here in the General Assembly," China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, told reporters.

"I have to emphasize that the US noise is incompatible with the general atmosphere of the General Assembly."

Trump, in his speech to the General Assembly beforehand, lashed out at Beijing over what he called the "China virus."

In remarks reminiscent of a campaign rally, Trump asked the world to take action over China's spreading of the "plague."

Trump has repeatedly sought to blame China over the pandemic that has claimed 200,000 lives in the United States, more than in any other country.

World should not be dominated by China-US 'rivalry': Macron
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 22, 2020 - World leaders must not let themselves be dominated by a power struggle between the US and China, French President Emmanuel Macron told the UN on Tuesday, calling for a "modern new consensus" on tackling global challenges.

"The world today cannot be reduced to the rivalry between China and the United States, irrespective of the global weight of these great powers," Macron told the UN General Assembly by video.

Borrowing a term that describes a duet in ballet, he said: "We do not have to settle for a 'pas de deux' that would make us only the rueful spectators of a collective powerlessness."

Macron has already warned that Washington's retreat from the global stage will require Europe to forge its own common defense strategy, and reduce its alliance on key technologies currently supplied by US or Chinese giants.

"The complete dependence on certain powers, with regards to technologies, food or industry, creates vulnerabilities that no longer allow the balances that go hand in hand with global stability," Macron told the UN.

The coronavirus crisis, he warned, has further undermined support for multilateralism and encouraged the willingness of some nations to ignore UN injunctions or international law.

"There will surely be a cure one day for this pandemic. But there will not be a miracle cure for this destruction of the contemporary order," he said.

"This pandemic must be an electric shock for our organization," he said, urging leaders to seize a chance to "clearly lay out our choices and build new alliances."

France will work on deepening its cooperation with UN partners to ensure "that the foundations of our organization are not swept away by the pandemic."

"Multilateralism is not simply an act of faith -- it's an operational necessity," he said. "No country will get out of this ordeal on its own."

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US President Donald Trump on Sunday spoke to Japan's new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, to congratulate him on taking office and to discuss a "free and open Indo-Pacific" region, which is increasingly dominated by China. Beijing's expanding military presence in the region has worried several of its neighbors, and Washington has vowed to stand up against its territorial claims. China is locked in disputes with neighbors including Japan and Vietnam over islands in the resource rich South China Se ... read more