Editor's note: Ken Moak taught economic theory, public policy and globalization at university level for 33 years. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The visions of which direction the world should follow between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump could not be more different in light of their recent speech at the UN General Assembly: Xi promoted globalization; Trump was against it.

History seemed to be on China's side, the victorious Allied Powers establishing the United Nations and other international organizations was to improve international cooperation and prevent politicians from destroying the world. 

It still can be recalled that during World War II, to erase Germany's ills, Adolf Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations, committed genocide and invaded neighboring countries. His atrocities and policies led to World War II because there was no effective organization to prevent him from doing so. 

History appeared to be repeating itself – Trump blaming the world, China in particular, for America's problems: a sinking economy and surging COVID-19 that has infected over six million and killed over 200,000 Americans. It did not matter that America's ills were of its own making. 

Hollowing out manufacturing and losing the middle class were the result of American firms deciding to relocate production in developing countries to reduce costs or increase profits. The surging spread of the pandemic was caused by Trump's complacency and mishandling of the virus.

It also did not matter that Trump's policies made America worse instead of great again. His tariffs ended up costing the U.S. taxpayers over 40 billion dollars, increased the trade deficit, put farmers' livelihoods at risk, raised the number of homeless people and eroded manufacturing. 

Also, Trump's technology war against China hurt American firms more than China's, with a number of them in financial stress having lost hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue. 

China was America's biggest technology buyer, responsible for over 40 percent of U.S. chips.

But in spite of the damage his blame game and policies have caused, many Americans still supported Trump's trade wars against China (and other countries) because they used to produce the goods China and other countries are making. 

On COVID-19, science be dammed – the fact that the first official cases of COVID-19 were detected in China was all that he needed to blame the country for the virus and the economic damage it has caused.

The irony of Trump's rant on globalization is that it was the U.S. that promoted and benefited hugely from it. The U.S.-inspired global supply chain based on regional specialization or taking advantage of regional comparative advantages has served the country well. 

For example, the U.S.-based Apple-designed iPhone 11 Pro Max, contracted engineering and parts production to various countries and shipped the components to China for assembly. 

The total cost, excluding research and development, was estimated at 490 U.S. dollars per unit, but it was priced at over 1,000 U.S. dollars each, depending on the model. Not a bad return and the Apple case is the norm rather than the exception.

The fact of the matter is the U.S. has every reason to support globalization. Trump's opposition might be because of unexpected outcomes. American politicians and businesses expected countries like China to become perpetual producers of low-end products, making toys and jeans, not precision machinery and other high-end technology products. 

They freaked out when China grew to become the world's second largest economy in nominal exchange rate terms and biggest in purchasing parity power measures so quickly, allowing the communist country to acquire the economic, financial, technological and military measures to challenge U.S. hegemony.

The U.S. decisions to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris Accord and other international organizations and agreements and to reassess funding of the UN were self-serving. 

For example, the Paris Accord would have stifled coal and oil production in the U.S., the sectors that Trump vowed to revive and promote. Trump chastised the WHO, calling the health organization a "Chinese lackey" because it praised China's timely and effective lockdown measures in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and refused to endorse his false claim that the virus was produced in a Wuhan lab.

In short, Trump's reasoning against globalism and the institutions that support and sustain it is that he could not have "the cake and eat it too."

His "Make America Great Again" slogan is a desire returning to the "good old days" – America producing most of the world's goods, enjoying full employment and remaining unchallenged or being the "big boss." 

Chinese President Xi has a point; the world does not need a "big boss" making rules for all that only serve its own interests and punish those nations that do not toe its line. 

Instead, the world needs to come together, cooperating to address the insurmountable problems confronting all nations: climate change, curbing the spread of COVID-19 and making the world trade and financial systems more efficient, just to name a few.

Furthermore, the world is not it was in the pre-World War II period. Today's economies are not only deeply entwined but major powers possess lethal conventional and nuclear weapons. 

Wars – economic and military – will have no winners, but will lead to mutual destruction. The world is right to reject Trump's anti-globalism posture.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)