G20 Summit: What you need to know now
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) — A Western-led push to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated Tuesday’s Group of 20 (G20) summit on the Indonesian island of Bali where leaders of major economies grappled with a dizzying array of issues from hunger to nuclear threats.
Indonesia pleaded for unity and concrete action to mend the global economy despite deep rifts over Ukraine.
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
* Most G20 members condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to draft joint declaration.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on G20 leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to adopt a 10-point peace formula.
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who headed the Russian delegation to the summit in the absence of President Vladimir Putin, condemned «politicisation» of the meeting.
* French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed it was urgent to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and reaffirmed their position on preventing the use of nuclear arms there, the French Presidency said.
* United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had a «very frank and open discussion» on the Black Sea grain deal with Lavrov.
LEADERS’ MEETINGS
* India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed global and regional developments in a meeting with Biden and also exchanged courtesies with China’s Xi at the end of a dinner in the first such meeting since deadly border clashes in mid-2020.
* South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for China to play a bigger role in reining in North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations, his office said, after talks with Xi.
* Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Xi signalled they would seek to move past years of disagreements after the first formal meeting between leaders of the two countries since 2016.
* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Biden discussed bilateral relations, including trade and security issues, the Turkish presidency said.
* British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he hoped the two nations could work together to help stabilise energy markets, a spokesperson for Sunak said.
* Europe will engage with China but needs to «rebalance» the relationship to avoid becoming too reliant on the country for areas like innovative technology, European Council President Charles Michel said.
BIDEN AND XI
* Biden said he and Xi held blunt talks on the eve of the G20 on an array of issues including Taiwan and North Korea. It was their first in-person meeting since Biden became president.
* Xi called Taiwan the «first red line» that must not be crossed in U.S.-China relations, Chinese state media said. Biden said U.S. policy on Taiwan was unchanged.
* Biden said he had told Xi that Beijing has an obligation to try to talk North Korea out of resuming nuclear testing.
* The two leaders agreed to allow senior officials to renew communication on climate, debt relief and other issues, the White House said.
