UN chief warns of 'new Cold War' between US and China

UN Secretary Antonio Guterres warns of a "new Cold War" between the United States and China as he opens the General Assembly's annual debate.

"We are moving in a very dangerous direction. Our world cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a great fracture," he said.

"A technological and economic divide risks inevitably turning into a geo-strategic and military divide and we must avoid this at all costs." Guterres also called for global solidarity in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, including in vaccine development.

"'Vaccinationalism' is not only unfair, it is self-defeating," he said.

The UN chief spoke to a largely empty General Assembly Hall in New York. World leaders are to address the forum in pre-recorded video speeches this year due to the pandemic.