China will contribute 8,000 troops for a United Nations peacekeeping standby force, China's President Xi Jinping told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. Xi also said China would provide $100 million in military assistance to the African Union in the next five years to support the establishment of an African standby force and to boost its capacity for crisis response.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington is prepared to work with Russia and Iran to try to end the more than four-year war in Syria that has spawned Islamic State militants. "The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict," Obama told the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. "But we must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the pre-war status quo." Read more...
"There is no room for accommodating an apocalyptic cult like ISIL (Islamic State) and the United States makes no apology for using our military as part of a broad coalition to go after it," he said. He described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a tyrant. (Watch: The live United Nations General Assembly Debate)
China criticises Hillary Clinton
Earlier, China criticised Hillary Clinton calling her "biased", after the US Democratic presidential candidate accused President Xi Jinping of hypocrisy for hosting a UN event championing women's rights while punishing feminists in his own country.
"China protects interests of citizens and rights in accordance with the law. Some people hold biased opinions against China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei told a media briefing replying to question on Clinton's comments.
Citing China's arrest of five feminists in March for campaigning against sexual harassment, Clinton called Xi's presence at the summit "shameless." "Xi hosting a meeting on women's rights at the UN while persecuting feminists? Shameless," Clinton tweeted yesterday, CNN reported.
Although China released them on bail 37 days later, their ordeal continues. The five women are subject to surveillance for a year, their activities restricted, and police can call them in for questioning at any time, the report said.
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