China's President Pledges $1 Billion To United Nations For 'Peace And Development'

UNITED NATIONS -- Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a $1 billion “peace and development” fund to support the work of the United Nations in his address before the body’s General Assembly on Monday.

Xi also pledged assistance to the African Union to ameliorate the organization's crisis response.

"The security of all countries is interlinked," Xi said, urging world leaders to "reject the outdated mindset that one's gain means the other's loss."

Xi’s speech, his first before the United Nations, was an opportunity for the strongman president to showcase China's -- and his own -- leadership on the world stage. Just three years into his presidency, Xi has emerged as the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, and China's global ascendancy is a key part of his personal brand. Beijing is, in fact, a major player in many of the issues vexing the United Nations right now.

As the U.S. launches a new diplomatic push to end four years of war in Syria, China’s cooperation is essential. As one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China has used its veto power, along with Russia, to block intervention in Syria. China, like Russia, is wary of Western-led intervention in foreign countries, and of giving legitimacy to insurgent movements considering its domestic battles against separatists, including in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Beijing is also central to international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. China is part of the group of nations that negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran, and is eager for the agreement to proceed unhindered so it can unlock investment opportunities in the country. China is also concerned about the stability of neighboring North Korea and backed international diplomatic efforts to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. As North Korea escalates its threats of missile tests and nuclear enrichment ahead of a major regime celebration, China remains a critical player to holding Pyongyang in check.

Yet China is hardly regarded as an unequivocal beacon of stability in its own neighborhood. China’s land-reclamation projects in the South China Sea have been condemned by countries with competing claims to the area, such as Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as their ally, the U.S.

However, the purpose of Xi’s weeklong visit to the U.S. is to highlight areas of cooperation, not confrontation. 

In addition to touting his contribution to peace and development around the globe, the Chinese president stressed his country's efforts to combat climate change -- a running theme throughout his tour of Seattle, Washington and New York.

"China will shoulder its share of responsibility and China will continue to play its part in this common endeavor," Xi said. "We urge developed countries to fulfill their historical responsibility." 

Xi's  remarks follow a string of announcements in Washington and New York that China will launch a cap-and-trade program to lower carbon emissions, provide $3.1 billion to help developing countries combat and adapt to climate change, and invest $12 billion to help poorer countries reach the U.N.’s new global sustainable development goals over the next 15 years.

Xi’s speech comes at a critical time for China, and for his leadership. Many of his signature achievements face critical scrutiny in the coming months. The summer nosedive of China’s stock market, and his government’s response, shook confidence in his effort to implement long-term economic reforms. Xi’s leadership on climate change will be put to the test as the world attempts to finally agree on a global climate deal in Paris this December.

Meanwhile, Xi’s huge campaign against corrupt officials looks increasingly like an effort to consolidate his power, and a parallel crackdown on civil society activists has sparked global concern. Under Xi's presidency, feminist activists, human rights lawyers and local anti-corruption campaigners have all found themselves the target of harassment and arrest. China has also moved to tighten its control of the flow of information on the Internet with a new draft cybersecurity law, and of the work of foreign nonprofit organizations with another proposed bill.

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