Tensions rise at G20 summit in India

The G20 summit, a leader summit of twenty powers, is now a ‘Group of Sixteen’, as Russia, China, Spain and Mexico’s leaders send deputies to the summit in India.

Tensions between the host country India and China have been high, leading to China’s decision to send a deputy to the G20 summit. The Chinese President Xi Jinping shall not be in attendance, with the premier, Li Qiang, representing China at the G20 summit of world leaders. The situation has arisen as Beijing published a map that claimed the Aksai Chin plateau and the state of Arunachal Pradesh to be Chinese territory, resulting in a dispute.

The President of Spain was unable to attend due to Covid-19, whilst Mexico’s leader chose not to join the summit. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sends in place Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. This follows Putin’s decision to not attend the preceding G20 summit in Indonesia. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said “Once again, Vladimir Putin is failing to show his face at the G20. He is the architect of his own diplomatic exile, isolating himself in his presidential palace and blocking out criticism and reality.”

“The rest of the G20, meanwhile, are demonstrating that we will turn up and work together to pick up the pieces of Putin’s destruction.”

“That starts with dealing with the terrible global consequences of Putin’s stranglehold over the most fundamental resources, including his blockade of and attacks on Ukrainian grain.”

Indian PM, Narendra Modi, is determined to avoid the summit becoming dominated by the Ukraine conflict, in an attempt to avoid repeating its central focus in the 2022 G20 summit in Indonesia. He balances good ties with Russia as well as the West, seeking to maintain a stance of neutrality. 

However, addressing Ukraine was unavoidable at the summit on Saturday, although “there were different views and assessments of the situation”, according to the The New Delhi Declaration. 

“Reaffirming that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and recognizing that while the G20 is not the platform to resolve geopolitical and security issues, we acknowledge that these issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.”

“In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”

Acknowledging Ukraine’s situation but avoiding direct condemnation of Russia as many Western leaders wished for, India wishes to establish itself as a major global power. As the host country, it set the agenda for the summit, directing the focus to sustainable development; debt forgiveness for developing countries and facilitating equitable growth around the world. This agenda attempts to establish India’s influence as a representative for the Global South of developing countries, for which it seeks support from G20 leaders.

The African Union, a key representative of the fastest-growing continent from the Global South, has been accepted as a new member of the future G21 summit. PM Narendra Modi said “I invite the representative of the African Union to take his place as a permanent member of the G20,”, effectively cementing a key stepping-stone forward on behalf of the Global South.

The PM himself stands as representative for ‘Bharat’, a  renaming of India which is supported by nationalist campaigns. Ravinder Kaur, historian of contemporary India, states, “Article 1 of the Indian constitution begins with the words, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.””

Figure from Flickr.