Russia and China are trying to advance a vision of the world that is fundamentally at odds with the one set forth in the UN Charter, the US has said.
The remarks by State Department Spokesperson Ned Price came in response to a question over the growing proximity between Russia and China during the past week and what impact this is having on the challenge that the US is facing solving the major global problems.
“We are seeing strategic competition unfortunately play out in dangerous ways with what Russia and China are trying to do, by advancing the vision of the world that they have that is fundamentally at odds with the vision that’s set forth in the UN Charter, fundamentally at odds with the vision that the United States and so many of our allies and partners and countries around the world also share,” Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. Since the start of the war in Ukraine last year, China has claimed to be neutral, although it has made many comments supporting Russia. The US and NATO have recently expressed concern that China may be preparing to send arms and ammunition to help Russia pursue its campaign in Ukraine.
The re-emergence of strategic competition hasn’t done away with the transnational challenges being faced, Price said.
"Challenge of a changing climate, the challenge of infectious disease and public health concerns more broadly, the challenge of narcotics and the need on the part of countries around the world to work to address the scourge of fentanyl and other drugs that are ravaging communities in this country but also communities around the world," he said.
“These are challenges that the United States has a tremendous capacity to help address, but these are not challenges we can solve alone. We’re always going to be more effective against every single one of these challenges when we work with partners and allies, but also countries with whom we share otherwise very little in common, and China may well fall into that category,” Price said.
He said the US thinks is the responsible thing to do to work with China where their interests align.
"And our interests clearly align on these transnational challenges that are a threat to the American people, that are a threat to the Chinese people, that are a threat to people around the world,” he said.
It is also what the rest of the world expects of us, he added.
"Now, the fact that we seek to work together doesn’t mean that we see eye to eye; quite the contrary,” he said.
"The two camps that are being seen post-Ukrainian war are those countries that are standing on the side of the UN Charter, those countries that are standing on the side of international law, those countries that are standing on the side of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and those countries that are siding with Russia," he asserted.
“We are confident that, once again, the world will stand with the UN Charter, and it’s only appropriate that they do so as this vote is taking place in the UN General Assembly,” Price said.
On the eve of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution on Thursday, urging Moscow to end hostilities in the neighbouring country and demanding the withdrawal of its forces to end the conflict.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
