USA vs China: Which represents humanity's future? Compare their UN speeches
Author: Ben Norton
September 27, 2025
Duration: 43:52
The US and China are the world's two most powerful countries, but they have very different visions for the global order. Compare the speeches delivered at the UN General Assembly by Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The United States wants a unipolar system based on unilateralism, aggression, and hegemony, whereas China wants a multipolar system based on multilateralism, peaceful development, and sovereign equality, centered in the United Nations. Ben Norton explains.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzCf8XlrKKU
Topics
0:00 (CLIP) Highlights of Trump's speech
0:59 Rise of China
2:25 US empire in decline
3:02 Contrasting visions of world order
5:11 Unilateralism vs multilateralism
7:16 (CLIP) China's Premier Li Qiang
8:07 Geopolitical adult in the room
9:20 China opposes new cold war
10:08 (CLIP) Dangers of war
11:07 Compare Li Qiang to Trump
11:36 (CLIP) Trump: "we're the hottest country"
12:24 Fact-checking Trump on US economy
14:07 (CLIP) Trump on stock market
14:34 Inflation
15:35 Electricity prices
16:18 Job growth
16:54 Trump's approval rating
17:55 Trump claims to end 7 wars
18:48 (CLIP) Trump condemns UN
19:54 US sabotages UN, abusing veto
21:50 China upholds international law
22:26 (CLIP) China defends UN & Global South
23:19 Reform of international organizations
23:50 (CLIP) Global Governance Initiative
24:26 80th anniversary
25:30 (CLIP) China on World Anti-Fascist War
26:19 Trump wages war
26:55 (CLIP) Trump wants Nobel Peace Prize
27:14 Trump boasts of attacking Iran
27:40 (CLIP) Trump's war on Iran
28:25 Trump boasts of attacking Venezuela
28:55 (CLIP) Trump's war on Venezuela
29:37 Expanding NATO military spending
29:54 (CLIP) Trump on NATO
30:11 Immigration
31:05 Dementia
31:25 (CLIP) Trump attacks immigrants
32:31 China defends diversity
33:21 (CLIP) China on civilizational respect
33:42 Climate change
34:42 (CLIP) Trump lies about climate change
35:29 China's wind & solar power
36:28 China values science
37:52 (CLIP) China on climate change
38:10 Technology for development
38:31 (CLIP) China on technology
39:03 The future vs the past
39:42 Trump serves fossil fuel corporations
40:27 (CLIP) US as #1 oil & gas producer
41:20 China's vision vs USA's vision
42:37 The emperor has no clothes
43:38 Outro
