Will Xi and Putin’s absence make a difference to the G20 and climate change summits?
- Topics for discussion at the G20 in Rome include ending coal use, Covid-19 vaccine distribution, a global minimum corporate tax and rising energy prices
- An EU official doesn’t think the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping will adversely affect the potential for deals
It is a four-day burst of high-stakes diplomacy in which the world’s most powerful leaders will haggle over crucial climate targets, global tax rates, clogged supply chains and vaccinating the planet.
But the build-up has been marked by the palace intrigue over who will attend and what the absence of key figures means for the complex issues at play.
Xi’s absence comes at a time of heightened tension between China and the United States, along with other G20 members, including Australia and to a lesser extent Britain, Canada and the European Union.
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An EU official, speaking under the condition of anonymity, did not expect Xi’s absence to negatively affect the prospects of deals on everything from ending coal use and vaccine distribution to global minimum corporate tax and rising energy prices.
Both China and Russia have “very good negotiating teams here who are quite focused on what they need to achieve for their leaders”, the official said. “They are very active and making lots of comments and proposals, and certainly very much engaged in the process.”
