China remains silent after signing off on consensus doc
Neither Li, China’s second-ranking leader in the Communist Party of China’s hierarchy, at the summit instead of President Xi Jinping, nor his delegation offered any comment on the declaration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that G20 member states had adopted a consensus leaders’ document for the summit, saying with the “…hard work of our teams, and with the cooperation of you all, there is consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders Declaration”.
What remains unclear is how China came around to accept the consensus document, given that Beijing had strong reservations about the mention of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and the language to be used in the context of the conflict.
The consensus declaration adopted by the G20 leaders called for a “comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine”, urging member states to “refrain from the threat of use of force to seek territorial acquisition” or act against the territorial integrity of any state.
China’s G20 delegation, led by Premier Li Qiang, remained silent on it, avoiding, until late on Saturday, any interaction with foreign media.
Neither Li, China’s second-ranking leader in the Communist Party of China’s hierarchy, at the summit instead of President Xi Jinping, nor his delegation offered any comment on the declaration. HT also reached out to the Chinese embassy for a comment, but there was no response.
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Given that several reports in the run up to the summit said that Beijing had emerged as the primary stumbling block against a consensus document, it’s unclear how the differences were ironed out.
A comment piece published by Xinhua, China’s official news agency, on Saturday evening was the closest Beijing has come to making an indirect reference to the document while criticising the US.
“Led by Premier Li Qiang, the Chinese G20 delegation is here (New Delhi) to seek unity and agreement instead of confrontation and differences. The country criticising others for not following its ‘zero-sum’ approach will witness China’s constructive role during the summit,” the Xinhua piece said without elaborating on what it meant by “constructive”.
It added that against the backdrop of headwinds, a result of the “high fence, small yard” protectionism led by the United States, “…G20 members gathering in New Delhi over the weekend are widely expected to promote global economic growth.”
The comment piece also used the phrase “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which Beijing, according to reports, had opposed the use of in official G20 documents as the UN doesn’t recognise Sanskrit.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures, means “the world is one family.” The theme of the Indian G20 Summit -- “One Earth, One Family, One Future” in English -- underscores the expectation that countries will support each other in pursuing growth,” the comment piece said.