China escapes unscathed following world leaders UN summit: ‘Exhaustion has set in’
Global leaders have gathered virtually at the UN General Assembly this week, but the outcome has been decidedly low-key. While there were plenty of finger-pointing and warnings the world needs to do more to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other global issues, there was no major breakthroughs or agreements reached.
China, which sent its foreign minister Wang Yi to the summit, appeared to escape unscathed despite the political wrangling that marked the sessions. While many leaders called out China over its handling of the Hong Kong situation, its human rights record and its role in the South China Sea, none of these issues triggered any major confrontations.
It appears that exhaustion has set in following what has been a long and contentious year for global diplomacy. While UN Secretary General António Guterres said the summit had been successful, China has been allowed to move on without any real consequence for its various transgressions.