Xi pushes a new global order

Global Governance At A New Crossroads, Chinese Prez Says

- Laurie Chen & Mei Mei Chu

CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING on Monday pressed his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritizes the "Global South", in a direct challenge to the United States, during a summit that included the leaders of Russia and India.

"We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism," Xi said, in a thinly veiled swipe at the US and President Donald Trump's tariff policies. "Global governance has reached a new crossroads," he added.

Xi was hosting more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries at a summit in the Chinese port city of Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-backed initiative given renewed impetus by the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an image designed to convey a mood of solidarity, Putin and Modi were shown holding hands as they walked jovially towards Xi before the summit opened. The three men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing and surrounded by interpreters.