India’s exceptionally flawless G20 presidency: A pleasant and unexpected triumph

The G20 presidency has indisputably thrust India onto the global stage, recognising it as a significant nation with a strong economy, a dedication to the Global South and the capability to shape agendas aligned with these goals

Gurjit Singh

The consensual leaders’ declaration and the consensus on admitting the African Union as a full member of the G20 were astonishing in terms of their emergence, speed, and meticulousness. The fact that both of these events occurred on the first day surprised most analysts, many of whom had predicted a chair’s summary rather than a leader’s statement.

As a result of hard negotiations, these two decisions set the tone for discussions, enabling the G20 to be more responsive to global requirements, especially those of developing countries.

A lot of media attention, however, focussed on the absence of President Xi Jinping from the Summit. Did this impact China in any way? Did the G20 suffer from his absence? While it is true that President Xi had never missed a G20 summit until now, this time the summit was coordinated with the East Asia Summit in Jakarta. The EAS is always attended by the Chinese premier. Perhaps this time, China simply followed the logic of connecting the EAS and G20 Summits by having the premier attend, as the dates were close to each other.

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There was speculation that Xi did not attend because he could not control the narrative of India’s G20. There were many occasions during the year-long negotiations when Chinese delegates made protests and objections, sometimes seemingly frivolous, such as objecting to the use of the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (or ‘One Earth· One Family· One Future’) due to its Sanskrit origin. On climate issues, MDB reforms, debt stress and Ukraine, China encountered stumbling blocks in the process.

The Chinese had many red lines in negotiations, but it often seemed that they were simply stirring the pot, if not trying to spoil India’s emergence during its successful G20 presidency. Perhaps when they realised that India would succeed nevertheless, then, some analysts believe, Xi decided not to attend and instead sent the low-key Premier Li Qiang. Premier since March 2023, he is not yet widely known in G20 circles. However, President Biden announced in Hanoi on Sunday that he had quietly met Li in New Delhi.

India did not express any disappointment at the absence of Xi. It was the prerogative of every country to be led by their choice. India knew that Xi’s presence would perhaps call into question whether a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi would take place or not. Such meetings have not occurred for some time, neither at an SCO Summit nor at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg earlier this year. Xi’s non-attendance made it evident that there isn’t much to discuss bilaterally due to China’s unwavering stance on issues such as the border, trade and cohabitation in a growing Indo-Pacific.You May LikeData Entry Jobs That Are Paying Wellऑनलाइन कनाडा में जॉब्सClick Here  by Taboola Sponsored Links 

This is not to say that the presence of Premier Li did not provide adequate Chinese participation. Certainly, Li is not Xi, and as a newcomer, he lacks the impactful presence of an established leader. There was noticeably more media coverage of Xi’s participation in other summits on Indian television than of Premier Li’s current participation. The Indian media was clearly missing Xi.

President Biden seemed to miss Xi. Perhaps he was waiting for a bilateral meeting to restore vitality to the US-China relationship, as several US cabinet ministers have been attempting while visiting China. The Americans were relieved that Putin was not coming, as they might have walked out on him had he spoken at the G20. With Xi, they were looking for engagement. However, in these circumstances, they were denied both opportunities.

Ultimately, China did not obstruct the consensus on the leaders’ statement. In response to a question, the Indian external affairs minister stated that China was helpful, and in fact, without their cooperation, the leaders’ statement by consensus would not have emerged. China did create problems in the past, but in the end, they played a more cooperative role. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the leaders’ statement is not a binding document. If it were, then China might take a more assertive stance, as they are doing with the code of conduct in the South China Sea with ASEAN.

China may be concerned about the terminology used in the paragraphs dealing with Ukraine, particularly those related to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and a rule-based international order. China is often accused of violating these principles, most recently through its cartographic aggression against its neighbors. China criticised India for holding meetings in Arunachal Pradesh, which China considers disputed territory. China blamed India for having grand plans with a small mindset.

China is preparing for the 10th anniversary of the BRI. It remains to be seen how many countries will actually attend this time, as the BRI has not delivered as promised originally, and debt stress has damaged its reputation. The announcement by President Biden, along with Prime Minister Modi and the leaders of Saudi Arabia, UAE and the European Union regarding new rail, port and energy connectivity between India, West Asia and Europe is a new proposal. This proposal may bring forth the quality infrastructure that countries have been talking about to address the lack of transparency associated with the BRI. Initiatives such as the US Build Back Better, the EU’s Global Gateway, India-EU connectivity, and the I2U2 collaboration among India, Israel, USA and UAE all contribute to this new proposal, which is substantial and could be a game changer if properly implemented. Furthermore, France announced a connectivity project across Africa, challenging the concept of the BRI.

The involvement of countries within these projects includes BRICS countries such as India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the UAE among others. This also indicates that the challenge to China through the development of regional connectivity will not only occur in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan is taking the lead, but will also take place in West Asia and Europe, where China has made limited gains and is now facing pushback.

It is evident that the G20 presidency has positioned India on the global centre stage as an important country with a robust economy, a commitment to the Global South, and the ability to steer priorities toward these objectives. China will need to respond to this challenge by matching it with greater effort and acting more responsibly as a global power.

The writer is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.

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