Beijing Seeks Role as Defender of World Order — Li Qiang at UN

China’s Premier Li Qiang, the country’s second-highest-ranking official, delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, aiming to strengthen Beijing’s global image and contrast it with the disruptive policies of the Trump administration. Li portrayed China as a defender of world peace and security, committed to multilateral cooperation. 

The remarks were reported by The New York Times

He criticized U.S. economic protectionism, saying the main cause of global economic instability was unilateral actions such as tariff hikes. By contrast, he argued, China had “consistently opened its doors wider to the world,” building international cooperation and trust.

Li also stressed that China seeks to play a leading role in global institutions and to work with developing nations to resist “hegemony and bullying.” He reaffirmed Beijing’s support for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as well as between Israel and the Palestinians, while signaling closer alignment with Moscow on shared strategic interests.