Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock in Beijing, warning that multilateralism faces severe challenges from powers prioritizing “might over right”. “Certain countries pursue a policy of ‘strength first’, openly challenging the status and role of the United Nations,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. The talks occurred amid Iran war tensions and a global energy crisis.
During talks in Beijing, Wang Yi told Baerbock that multilateralism faces “severe challenges” from unnamed powers prioritising “might over right” – a veiled critique of Washington, according to the South China Morning Post.
Facing such “headwinds” and “bullying”, he said, the international community must “uphold the correct path of cooperation” rather than allowing the “law of the jungle to prevail”.
Wang noted that 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of China’s return to the United Nations, and reiterated Beijing’s position as a “steadfast defender” of the UN-centred international system.
He pledged support for Baerbock’s mandate, expressing “hope and confidence” that she would unify the 193 member states to uphold the core principle of “sovereign equality”.
Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, is presiding over the landmark 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which runs until September.
