China has role to play as ‘honest broker’, says new UN chief

UN secretary general-elect Antonio Guterres called for China to take up a stronger role as “honest broker” in addressing global challenges as he began on Monday his first visit to Beijing since being elected as the next UN chief.

With a month to go before he takes office, Guterres is already facing the challenge of reaffirming the role and relevance of the UN at a time of a growing backlash against globalisation. That hostility is reflected in US president-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist agenda, and Britain’s recent decision to leave the European Union.

“We see that economic progress and technological progress have not been able to reduce inequality, and inequality is becoming an important factor in stability in the world,” said Guterres after an hour-long meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday morning.

In a separate meeting, President Xi Jinping said the UN had to play a bigger role in global affairs and that China would continue participating in UN missions. He also said the Paris climate change agreement had to be implemented, state-run CCTV reported.

The incoming UN leader stressed the importance of upholding multilateral mechanisms for addressing global challenges.