UN chief calls for ‘reset' between China, US, says they can work on ‘climate action’

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U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for a "reset" between the U.S. and China and suggested the U.S. could work with the communist regime on issues such as "climate action."

Guterres was asked if he agreed with comments by President Biden’s nominee for U.N. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who said at her confirmation hearing that China is pushing an "authoritarian agenda" at Turtle Bay.

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"Well in relation to the United Nations I can guarantee we are strongly committed to make sure the U.N. is a beacon of all the values related to peace, security, development, human rights," Guterres told reporters. "But what for me is important is to say that I hope we will see a reset between the United States and China with different dimensions."

While he said the two countries hold "completely different views" on human rights, he said "there is an area I believe there is a growing convergence of interests and my appeal is for that area to be pursued by the two sides together with the whole of the international community -- and that area is climate action."

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He said he believes both countries will be involved with the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and in moving to carbon neutrality among other issues. He went on to call for "serious negotiation" on issues such as trade, competition and technology.

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There has been increasing concern for years over Beijing’s influence at the U.N., with the Trump administration moving to pull the U.S. out of the World Health Organization over its alleged pro-China bias. 

While the Biden administration is likely to take a less aggressive stance on China than the Trump administration, and a more conciliatory approach to the U.N. in general, Thomas-Greenfield recognized the threat at the U.N. from China.

"We know China is working across the U.N. system to drive an authoritarian agenda that stands in opposition to the founding values of the institution -- American values," Thomas-Greenfield told lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during her confirmation hearing. "Their success depends on our continued withdrawal. That will not happen on my watch."

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Guterres on Thursday hailed the moves the Biden administration had taken in terms of the U.N., including stopping the withdrawal from the WHO, rejoining the Paris climate agreement and pledging more humanitarian aid in the Middle East.

"All those things are creating a very positive expectation and I can tell you we will be working closely to fully support these changes of policy that go in line with what has been our continued position in relation to strengthening multilateralism and the understanding that only international cooperation and coming together is the way to address the challenges of the present world," he said.

Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.