Trump's UN speech showed a 'lack of political culture'

Sputnik
Wed, 20 Sep 2017 21:59 UTC

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President Trump speaking at the UN General Assembly

Trump's recent statements are far from those that one would expect from a leader of a global power, Chinese expert Zhou Yongsheng said, commenting on a recent UN speech by the US president, during which he labelled Venezuela and Iran as dictatorial countries and threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it doesn't stop its nuclear activities.

Trump's threats against other countries are motivated by his personal grievances and emotions, a research fellow with the Center for International Relations Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of China, Zhou Yongsheng, stated.

"This didn't look like an official speech of the president of a major power on the global political scene," the analyst said, adding that Trump's statements rather resembled a "personal attack devoid of any boundaries."

In addition, the analyst noted that the content of Trump's speech was contradictory from the very beginning until the end. On the one hand, the US president called on the international community to respect the principle of state sovereignty, and on the other he threatened some countries with decisive actions, including total destruction, Yongsheng noted.

"Trump's speech...demonstrates a lack of political culture. A president should always follow the principle of political certainty. He or she is not allowed to give way to the unbridled feeling of hatred or bring personal emotions to the level of state policy. This is extremely irresponsible," the Chinese expert concluded.

During his UN speech, US President Donald Trump made several statements directed against a number of countries. For example he noted that North Korea's "reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with the unthinkable loss of human life" and called on United Nations member states to join forces to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its "hostile" behavior.

The US president also severely criticized Iranian and Venezuelan leaders, labelling the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as "an embarrassment to the United States" and threatened further action against "the socialist dictatorship" of President Maduro.

Comment: Trump didn't create a receptive audience with his remarks. He may come to rue his choices of phrase and innuendo because no matter what he says next week or next month, this speech has set the tone that will be remembered, his words echoing around the world.

Additional commentary from Sputnik:

An English-language edition of China's People's Daily newspaper highlighted in an op-ed that "Trump's political chest-thumping is unhelpful, and it will only push the DPRK to pursue even riskier policies, because the survival of the regime is at stake."

"It is time for the US to realize that irresponsible words and actions are backing the DPRK into a corner with no way out, and it would be a tragedy if Trump's risky game of chicken with the DPRK crosses the point of no return," the editorial went on to state.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang also delivered a similar message at the General Assembly after Trump's speech.

"The [Korean] Peninsula situation is still in a complex and sensitive state," Kang said. "We hope that relevant parties could maintain restraint while completing United Nations Security Council resolutions, and take more correct actions which are helpful in easing the situation."

"It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict," Trump said.

The People's Daily also stressed that China will not make North Korea's nuclear development its problem. "China is willing to play a responsible role as a major country, but will not shoulder the responsibility for the selfish interests of the US," it wrote in a recent commentary. Beijing has long advocated for talks between the US and North Korea leadership.

"The US makes a fetish of sanctions and pressure and frequently threaten military action," the People's Daily article scoffed.