CHINA BROUGHT A GIFT to the United Nations’ 80th General Assembly session yesterday: soil and rocks from “the dark side of the moon”.
The country was as poor as the least developed African nations in the 1960s, when the super-rich US was making its pioneering voyages to the moon—but China has developed so speedily that it can today send spacecraft to the moon and share in humanity’s sci-fi adventure.
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CHOOSE FRIENDSHIP
China’s number two leader, Premier Li Qiang, had a more direct message to the world, too: humanity should choose China-style international collaboration, not the US strategy of dividing and polarizing the world. And although he did not mention Washington directly, it was clear who he was talking about.
He lamented the decision of some to focus on “tariff hikes and erection of walls and barriers” and pointed out that: “Solidarity lifts everyone up, while division drags us all down.”
Humanity was “at a crossroads” but “the Great Way remains smooth and steadfast”.
Li called for other countries to share China’s opposition to the revival of Cold War divisionism. “A single flower does not make spring,” he said.
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THE REAL CHALLENGE
Instead of focusing on the major countries, let’s give every nation respect, he said. “All countries, big or small” should be “treated as equals” he said.
The world needed to urgently unite against real challenges such as climate change. “We must respond with concerted efforts and protect our shared home,” Li said.
He also indirectly referred to the way the west insists their version of governance is the only correct one and must be followed by every nation. In contrast, we “never impose our ways on others”, he said. (Economists have pointed out that China doesn’t even impose its system on itself, with multiple “special economic zones” with different rules.)
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DIFFERENT SKIN COLORS
Li, 66, normally a dry and formal speaker who prefers to talk about economics, let a little personal reflection into his speech too.
“Arriving at the U.N. headquarters this time, I saw over 190 national flags lined up in front of the building and fluttering in the breeze,” he said.
He shared his pleasure at seeing sculptures with an anti-weapons theme, showing swords being beaten into ploughshares (farm implements).
“And I saw staff members from different regions, of different races, and with different skin colors working in collaboration for the common goals of humanity,” he said.
“What I saw got me thinking: Those people, objects, and scenes that embody peace, progress, and development are exactly why we choose to commemorate victory. They’re also what inspires us to forge ahead, hand in hand.”
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HUMANITY WILL FIND THE TAO
There was another hidden message delivered too. And that was Li’s very presence, representing China at this all-important meeting. The New York Times and other commentators like to present leader Xi Jinping as a sole dictator-like master over 1.4 billion people.
But clearly China’s leadership has many good people—and Xi’s decision to send Li to represent the country at this key event showed that to the world.
Li closed with a reference to the “way” – the age-old Chinese belief that if humans behave with wisdom they can forge a path, or a Tao, to a harmonious, cohesive society.
While each day’s news may contain details of conflicts, seen on a longer timescale, humanity can develop positively. “The tide of history surges forward, and the Great Way remains smooth and steadfast,” Li said.
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[Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, spoke at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, 2025]