The ongoing trade tariff war between the United States and other countries across the globe could undermine the current world order, President William Ruto has said.
He said the trade war has exposed the soft underbelly of the financial and peace and security architecture crafted by the West after the Second World War.
Giving a public lecture at Peking University in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, President Ruto said: “The post-war multilateral system is broken, dysfunctional, and no longer fit for purpose. The escalating trade tariff war may be its final death blow.”
President Ruto was referring to the decision by the United States President Donald Trump to levy high tariffs on countries around the world, claiming America has long been taken advantage of by other nations through what he termed as unfair trade practices.
The move has attracted retaliatory measures from other world powers, including China, with economists warning that it could lead to a global recession.
President Ruto is on a four-day State Visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. He is accompanied by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi.
During his speech at Peking University, the President said the legitimacy of the structure of the United Nations Security Council is increasingly coming into question.
“The Security Council, once a beacon for peace and diplomacy, now has one permanent member invading another country, while another member takes sides in conflict with the Security Council’s own resolutions,” he said.
He added: “Yet today, the permanent members live in denial and resist reform, even as the Security Council becomes less and less legitimate and its relevance put into question.”
He called on the Security Council’s permanent members to be increased from five (China, US, Russia, Britain, and France) to 12 to make it truly representative of the five continental blocs – Africa/Middle East, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.
“We must imagine a new peace and security architecture, one rooted in democracy, equity, transparency, and equal regional representation,” he said.
On diplomacy, President Ruto said Kenya remains a non-aligned member committed to world peace.
“We support the One-China policy, the Two-State solution between Israel and Palestine, and dialogue in the Russian-Ukraine conflict,” he said.
President Ruto is the first African leader to be invited to give a public lecture at Peking University, China’s most prestigious institution of higher learning.
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Other world leaders who have been given the honour include President Vladimir Putin of Russia, former US President Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and US philanthropist Bill Gates.
On Africa’s advantage in a new world order, the President said the continent is well-positioned to reap the economic dividend of its youthful population as China did at the turn of the 21st century.
“If the first half of this century belongs to China, the second half of this century definitely belongs to Africa,” he said.
Earlier, President Ruto chaired the Kenya-China Investor Roundtable in Beijing and witnessed the signing of seven agreements by Chinese companies that have plans for new projects in Kenya.
The firms are China Wu Yi, Chongqing Shancheng Apparel Group Co.Ltd, Rongtai Steel Co. Ltd, Kenya Smart Transportation Industry Park/Anhui Jiubao Electronic Co. Ltd, Shandong Jialejia Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Co. Ltd, Zonken Group, and Hunan Conference Exhibition Group/Hautian Hotel Management Company.
In an interview with China CCTV and CGN, President Ruto commended China for being a dependable partner of Kenya and the African continent in their development journey.
Later, the President laid a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes at Tiananmen Square, honouring the martyrs of the struggle for the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
At the Great Hall of the People, he held talks with Mr Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (CPC), the Chinese national parliament, and Prime Minister Li Qiang.
President Ruto said he was encouraged by their firm commitment to enhancing trade between Kenya and China, as well as revitalising cooperation among members of the Global South.
During a meeting with Kenyans living in China, President Ruto urged them and others in the diaspora to support the government’s efforts to reform various sectors of the economy, including health, education, and agriculture.
Emphasising his determination to leave Kenya better than he found it, President Ruto said he would not be sidetracked by critics and naysayers.
“It will not happen overnight; it is not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth every effort,” he said.
Others accompanying the President are Cabinet Secretaries William Kabogo (ICT), Lee Kinyanjui (Trade) and Davis Chirchir, MPS, and government officials.
