Interview: Xi's UN speech full of vision, says Canadian expert

The speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly on Monday was full of new ideas and vision, said a Canadian expert on Tuesday.

In the speech, Xi renewed China's commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN charter, and reaffirmed that China, as always, will be a constructor of world peace and adhere to the path of peaceful development.

Xi also called on the international community to promote peace and development and address major challenges to build a better world.

Speaking highly of Xi's speech, Yves Tiberghien, director of Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, said there were a lot of new ideas for international relations in the speech.

"Xi is taking a very long-term vision, reminding countries that we can't just focus on short term and self interest, that the interests of each nation depend on the interests of the whole," said Tiberghien, who is also executive director of the university's China Council.

He said that Xi's speech has focused on interstate cooperation, and was a search for innovative ideas among countries, rather than an appeal to build new global institutions.

"There is a big picture of vision. And this speech follows on (Xi's) earlier speeches in Seattle and interview with Wall Street Journal," he told Xinhua.

"It's a bit more intergovernmental-focused, as Xi also reminded everyone in his speech that we're in a new situation where emerging powers deserve the same and equal status as the established nations," he said.

The professor also said he was impressed by Xi's speech in his focus on the long term and global challenges that humanity faces.

The other aspect that's very interesting to him is that Xi made very clear statements, linking domestic prosperity, including the Chinese dream, to global cooperation and advances in global institutions and cooperation, Tiberghien stressed.

"Nobody can defend their interests without working for the collective good and public good. Those are very hopeful signs," he said.

He said Xi's announcements on combating climate change in the past few days and last year were really a huge source of hopes. "This is a game changing moment. These are hopeful pieces of news that we've had in years." he said. Endi