US UN Ambassador Nominee Says "China and Russia Must Be Involved in North Korea Nuclear Issue"

"Containing China's Influence in the UN Is the Top Priority"
Calls for Renewed China-Russia Engagement on North Korean Nuclear Issue

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nominee
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. nominee for UN Ambassador has stated that China is attempting to push its 'authoritarian' agenda at the UN and vowed a tough response. Additionally, regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, the nominee expressed the need for a multilateral approach involving cooperation with China and Russia.

On the 27th (local time), during the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for the UN Ambassador, nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield referred to China as a 'strategic adversary' and criticized China for exploiting the UN system to realize its authoritarian agenda. In her hearing remarks, she said, "The more we retreat from multilateralism, the more we help China," adding, "We will focus all our efforts on curbing China's influence within the UN system alongside our allies."

She pointed out that China is strengthening its influence by placing its personnel in key positions in major international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). She emphasized that the top priority is to curb China's influence through the U.S.'s swift return to multilateralism. She stated, "As China's influence on the world grows, both our freedoms and values will be infringed upon," and added, "We will do everything possible to prevent the appointment of Chinese officials to key positions in major international organizations such as the UN."

Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, she said, "This is not something we can solve alone," and stressed the need to cooperate not only with existing allies such as South Korea and Japan but also with China and Russia. She further added, "One of the biggest failures of the Donald Trump administration was trying to solve everything alone."

This is interpreted as a reaffirmation of the Biden administration's intention to engage in diplomatic issues such as U.S.-China relations and the North Korean nuclear problem through a multilateral approach based on solidarity with other countries. Thomas-Greenfield pointed out, "Our allies have been sidelined."

During the confirmation hearing, controversy arose over Thomas-Greenfield's attendance at a speech hosted by the Confucius Institute in 2019, which has been criticized as a propaganda tool of the Chinese government, where she made favorable remarks about China's role in Africa. When criticism was raised mainly by Republican senators at the hearing, Thomas-Greenfield expressed regret for accepting the speech invitation at that time. She then criticized China's investment in Africa as having "only burdened African countries with massive debt," directly contradicting her remarks at the Confucius Institute speech.

If Thomas-Greenfield passes the Senate confirmation hearing, she will join the Biden administration's cabinet, which has declared a tough stance against China. At the confirmation hearing for Commerce Secretary held the previous day, nominee Gina Raimondo also stated, "We will use all possible means, including adding to the list of banned transactions with Chinese companies and imposing tariffs." Additionally, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has forecasted "collective pressure on China in cooperation with allies," and earlier, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated the need for "stronger pressure on China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.