Is it really any wonder that an organization called the United Nations — the "ultimate bastion of multilateralism," as Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan put it — might occasionally have some tension between "United" and "Nations"? Another stumbling block: Many at the United Nations this week framed U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policy, outlined Tuesday, as a wholesale rejection of multilateralism. After the League of Nations, a first attempt to unite the planet's countries after World War I, faltered and faded, the United Nations arrived on the scene to foster cooperation in World War II's chaotic aftermath. Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated China's longtime commitment but also insisted that "multilateralism is not about making empty rhetoric. Figuring this stuff out, and charting a path forward, is front and center for the United Nations.

Source: Fox News September 29, 2018 21:22 UTC