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COP26, G20 prospects dimmer without China’s Xi Jinping in the room
- The Chinese president is not expected to be in Rome or Glasgow in person, making it more difficult to strike a deal
- Face-to-face talks can make all the difference, officials say
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It is a long weekend that has the potential to shape the future.
Leaders of the world’s most powerful nations will meet in Rome for the Group of 20 Summit, then head to Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to cement climate commitments with other countries.
But with reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to Europe for either event, Western observers are downgrading their expectations of how much can be achieved.
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According to Bloomberg, Chinese diplomats have already informed G20 nations that Xi will not attend the Rome summit in person, citing China’s tough Covid-19 quarantine rules.
That means Xi will also probably miss the Glasgow talks, efforts seen as critical to safeguarding the Paris accord commitment to limit global warming to “well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius” and securing a deal on climate funding for developing countries.
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Officials see the G20 Summit as “setting the tone for Glasgow” and a key venue for world leaders to meet informally and iron out differences ahead of COP26.
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