The Secretary General Of The United Nations Calls ASEAN Can Be A Bridge Between The US And China

JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ASEAN could help bridge two global economic powers, namely the United States and China.

"There is a growing risk that the global economy will be divided into two parts, led by the two largest economies the United States and China," said Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, quoted from Antara, Saturday 12 November.

A divided global economy, with two different regulatory devices, two dominant currencies and two conflicting strategies in artificial intelligence will weaken the world's capacity to respond to the challenges it faces.

"This separation must be avoided by all means. We need to strengthen our collective efforts to find multilateral solutions, overcome geopolitical storms, and restore sustainable development goals (SDGs) to their path," he said.

Regional organizations, Guterres said, including ASEAN, have an important role to play in finding multilateral solutions. He said the increasingly deep division threatens global peace and security.

"Many countries have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis," he said.

Many countries are also facing strict restrictions on their access to food, energy and finance.

"The situation has also been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the debt that ensnares it," Guterres said.

He said the geopolitical gap contributed to global insecurity, sparking new conflicts and making it even more difficult to end the old conflict.