Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a video speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, called on world leaders to resolve their differences and problems through "dialogue and cooperation," as his country's tensions with the United States have shown few signs of improving soon.
Xi also urged other nations not to create a small circle targeting China, in an apparent reference to the so-called Quad, comprising the United States, Japan, India and Australia, as well as a new security partnership involving Australia, Britain and the United States.
The president, however, did not directly criticize the United States just as U.S. President Joe Biden did not explicitly name China in his speech at the United Nations on the same day.
The two leaders are believed to be trying to arrange their first face-to-face summit talks in the not-so-distant future.
"We must strengthen solidarity and promote mutual respect and win-win cooperation in conducting international relations," Xi said.
"We need to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity, and reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games," he added.
On how to tackle climate change issues, Xi pledged in his speech that China will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad and will provide support for emerging countries so that they can develop environment-friendly energy.
The president has promised China will bring total carbon dioxide emissions to a peak before 2030 and aim to become carbon neutral by 2060.
In a statement released Tuesday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed Xi's announcement, with China and the United States attempting to join hands in the environment field.
Xi, meanwhile, voiced hope that the origins of the novel coronavirus will be traced in a scientific manner and made clear his country opposes politicizing the issue, following Washington's request that Beijing unveil more information about the COVID-19 outbreak.
The virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
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