Key Takeaways
- Joint Statement From the Fragmented Group
- Railway Project to Counter Belt and Road
- US to Host G20 Despite Beijing’s Opposition
HANOI, Vietnam—President Joe Biden concluded his meetings on Sunday at the Group of 20 (G20) summit, which was held in India’s capital New Delhi, after paying tribute to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, alongside other world leaders. The president left India to travel to Vietnam, where he will announce a strengthened partnership with the communist nation on Sunday.
The president traveled to Asia at a time when competition between the United States and China was intensifying. This year’s summit revealed heightened tensions between two powerful countries, as evidenced by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s absence from the summit and Beijing’s objections to the United States hosting the G20 Summit in 2026.
Some argue that Mr. Xi’s absence means that it is abandoning the G20 and establishing an alternative world order. To counter that notion, President Biden sought to fill the void left by Mr. Xi at this year’s summit by presenting America as a more reliable partner than China and capable of uniting the world’s richest countries around common goals, including providing “non-coercive” development financing options to developing countries.
“It would be nice to have him here,” President Biden told reporters in India when asked about whether Mr. Xi’s absence impacted the summit.
“But, no,” he added. “The summit is going well.”
At the New Delhi summit, the G20 members were divided over many issues, including the war in Ukraine; however, leaders made several key decisions during the two-day summit in India’s capital.
Key Takeaways From the Two-Day Summit
Joint Statement From the Fragmented Group
The most contentious issue at this year’s summit was how to address the Ukraine war in the joint communiqué. There was skepticism that a summit communiqué would be issued due to significant divisions amongst members.
While some countries demanded strong language against Russia, labeling the G20 member as an aggressor, India, the G20 president, had been trying to strike a balance in the summit declaration. India’s close relationship with Moscow and its unwillingness to issue strong statements complicated the effort as well.
By Emel Akan
