At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, 2025, world leaders gathered to reflect on the organization’s eight-decade journey and chart a course for the future amid a period marked by global turbulence, economic uncertainty, and mounting geopolitical tensions. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro each delivered impassioned addresses that underscored the urgent need for renewed multilateralism, peace, and collective action on the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Premier Li Qiang, representing the People’s Republic of China, opened his speech with a historical reminder. According to the United Nations, Li recalled the defeat of fascism and the founding of the UN eight decades ago, emphasizing that the lessons of history “demanded renewed commitment to peace, fairness and justice.” He warned that “solidarity lifts everyone up, while division drags all down,” cautioning that humanity has “once again come to a crossroads.”
Li’s remarks, as reported by the United Nations, were a clear call to defend multilateralism and reject what he termed “Cold War thinking.” He argued that unilateralism and protectionism were undermining the international order painstakingly built over decades. “When might dictates right, the world risks division and regression,” Li said, urging that all countries, “big or small, be treated as equals.”
China’s role as a global actor was a central theme in Li’s address. He highlighted Beijing’s commitment to being a “staunch defender of world peace and security,” noting that China is the second-largest budgetary contributor and the largest troop contributor among permanent members of the UN Security Council for peacekeeping operations. Li pointed to China’s efforts in promoting political solutions to conflicts, including Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine crisis, signaling Beijing’s intent to be seen as a stabilizing force on the world stage.
On the economic front, Li painted a picture of a world economy slowed by “tariff hikes and erection of walls and barriers,” warning that such measures only worsen sluggish growth. He presented China as a driver of global development, contributing about 30 percent of economic growth in recent years, and maintained that China had lowered tariffs while remaining the world’s second-largest importer for sixteen consecutive years. “China will continue to pursue high-quality belt and road cooperation with over 150 countries,” Li said, promising that the nation would open its economy even wider to the world.
Li was equally forceful in his rejection of “civilizational superiority or ideology-based circles,” which he argued breed confrontation. Instead, he called for deeper exchanges between societies and stronger collective action on shared challenges such as climate change and emerging technologies. According to the United Nations, China has built the world’s largest renewable energy system and is advancing low-carbon development, positioning itself as a leader in the global green transition.
Turning to technology, Li urged swift progress on international rules for artificial intelligence and reiterated Beijing’s call for a “world AI cooperation organization.” As a gesture of scientific collaboration, he announced that China would present lunar soil samples—collected by its latest robotic explorer from the far side of the moon, a world first—to the United Nations. Furthermore, Li said China would partner with the UN to establish a China-UN Global South–South Development Facility with $10 million in initial funding, as well as a global center for sustainable development in Shanghai in cooperation with the UN Development Program. “We should adhere to the principles of people-centered development, technology for good, and equitable benefits,” Li concluded, reaffirming China’s support for reforms to make the UN “more efficient and representative.”
On the same day, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro delivered her country’s national statement, echoing many of the themes raised by Li but with a distinctly Filipino perspective. According to the Philippine News Agency, Lazaro invoked the legacy of former diplomat General Carlos P. Romulo, who championed the UN Charter at the San Francisco Conference in 1945. “Our faith in the UN Charter endures, as the international community celebrates the 80th anniversary of the United Nations,” Lazaro declared.
Lazaro’s speech was a plea for peace and the resolution of ongoing conflicts. She called for an end to violence in Gaza through lasting ceasefires, restored humanitarian access, and renewed efforts toward a two-state solution. She also pressed for peace in Ukraine, emphasizing respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and highlighted humanitarian crises in Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The Philippines, she noted, is seeking a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2027–2028 to contribute to peace and security, drawing on its own peacebuilding experience in Mindanao. “Beyond stopping hostilities, peace is a just order, with individuals flourishing in dignity at its center,” Lazaro said, citing the success of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Addressing economic disparities, Lazaro called for reforms in global financing systems that perpetuate debt burdens and inequalities, especially for climate-vulnerable countries. She urged developed nations and multilateral development banks to fulfill their climate finance commitments, underscoring the importance of equitable support for those most affected by climate change. In a move to reinforce the Philippines’ commitment to international law, Lazaro announced the country’s ratification of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), strengthening adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Lazaro also highlighted the vital contributions of Filipino migrants—particularly 1.9 million seafarers who support global maritime trade—and called for stronger protection of migrant rights. On the technological front, she acknowledged the potential of artificial intelligence but warned against its risks, urging international safeguards to prevent misuse. The Philippines’ commitment to human rights, climate diplomacy, pandemic response, and peacekeeping was reaffirmed, with Lazaro recalling the country’s long history of engagement in UN missions.
Maritime disputes in the South China Sea were addressed directly. Lazaro stated that the Philippines remains committed to UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, condemning “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous actions” in Philippine waters. Yet, she emphasized Manila’s continued pursuit of diplomacy and peaceful settlement of disputes. Concluding her remarks, Lazaro echoed Romulo’s words at the first UNGA in 1945, affirming the Philippines’ shared destiny with the international community.
Together, the speeches by Li and Lazaro reflected a world at a pivotal juncture—one where the principles of multilateralism, peace, and cooperation are being tested as never before. Their calls for dialogue, reform, and collective action offered a reminder that, despite deep divides and daunting challenges, the UN remains a vital forum for nations to seek common ground and shape a shared future.
