Top diplomats from the UN’s “Big Five” powers erupted into a war of words over global governance during a Beijing conference on the weekend, reflecting bigger ideological battles on the international stage.

On one side were envoys from China and Russia; on the other were representatives from France, Britain and the United States. In a rare appearance in front of hundreds of diplomats, academics and students in the Chinese capital on Sunday, they traded accusations and hinted at diplomatic infractions.

The sparring took place in front of a majority Chinese audience at the World Peace Forum organised by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, a government-run policy group.