Bangladesh, Oct. 5 -- When the United States retreats, the world does not stand still—it recalibrates. Nowhere is this truer than at the United Nations, the institution once shaped in Washingtons image. As Americas second Trump administration signals a renewed “America First” disengagement from multilateral frameworks, a vacuum is opening—one that China, with characteristic patience and strategic foresight, seems ready to fill. The UN, now standing at a geopolitical crossroads, could witness one of the most consequential power realignments in its history.

For decades, the UN system was underpinned by American leadership—both moral and financial. From peacekeeping to pandemic response, from humanitarian aid t...