Xi Warns of Global ‘Turbulence’ as G20 Leaders Discuss Wars, Climate, Tax Reforms
AFP/APP
Rio de Janeiro: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Monday that the world is entering a new period of “turbulence” as G20 leaders gathered in Brazil just two months before Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House.
US President Joe Biden is attending his final G20 summit, with many viewing him as a “lame duck” overshadowed by Xi, who has positioned himself as a protector of the international order amid the looming Trump 2.0 era.
World leaders are meeting for two days to address stalled UN climate talks, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and issues like taxing the super-rich.
In a subtle reference to Trump’s anticipated return, Xi told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the world is facing significant changes.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this sentiment, stressing that the world is transforming and urging the European Union to finalize a major trade deal with South American countries.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the summit host, has used the event to push for left-wing causes, including combating hunger and climate change.
At the summit’s opening, Lula launched a Global Alliance against Poverty and Hunger, which aims to feed half a billion people by 2030, supported by 81 countries.
Despite Lula’s attempts to steer the agenda toward pressing global issues, he acknowledged the challenge of focusing on topics beyond the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, which continue to dominate discussions.
Lula expressed concern that if the focus remains solely on these conflicts, critical issues affecting people not engaged in wars would be sidelined.
The conflict in Ukraine looms large as Biden has authorized the use of long-range US missiles by Ukraine, a move that risks escalating the war. Trump, in contrast, has vowed to end the conflict swiftly if he is re-elected.
In response, Russia warned of an “appropriate response” if US-supplied weapons strike Russian territory. Biden defended Ukraine’s sovereignty, but Scholz distanced Germany from the US stance on long-range weaponry, stating that Germany would not supply such arms that could reach deep into Russian territory.
Tensions have also emerged over the G20 communique, with some countries pushing to reopen discussions on wars and climate, even though the text had been largely finalized. This divergence highlights the ongoing challenges within the summit.
Another pressing issue is the stalling of UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, particularly over climate finance for developing nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the G20 to take a leadership role, calling for $1 trillion annually for developing countries to combat global warming.
However, wealthier nations are reluctant, insisting that rapidly growing economies like China and the Gulf states also contribute.
The summit takes place amidst another year of extreme weather events, including Brazil’s worst wildfire season in over a decade, exacerbated by a historic drought linked to climate change.
Biden’s attendance at the summit marks the final leg of his diplomatic farewell tour, following a visit to Lima and the Amazon, marking the first visit by a sitting US president to the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is absent from the summit, faces an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over the Ukraine war.
Additionally, the G20 summit will discuss tax reforms targeting billionaires. Lula has faced opposition from Argentine President Javier Milei, who promotes a low-tax, cost-cutting agenda similar to Trump’s policies.
Despite the resistance, the likelihood of Argentina blocking the final statement seems minimal, according to a Brazilian foreign ministry source.
