As Hangzhou played host to the G20 meeting, there were reports that the Chinese government had emptied the city of its original inhabitants for the duration of the summit – an act that seemed symbolic of the final communiqué of the G20 itself, pretty on the outside but lacking in substance.
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The Chinese president also noted that the summit would focus on topics essential to the world economy, including macro-economic policy coordination, innovation-driven growth, more efficient world governance, robust trade and investment, and inclusive and interconnected development.
Taking her first steps onto the global stage, Britain’s new Prime Minister, Theresa May, lauded the decision to advocate free trade, reaffirming Britain’s position to oppose protectionism. The strategy has hinged on an unlikely U.S.
Another prominent issue at the summit is G-20 member Britain’s June vote to leave the 28-nation European Union, a move seen by some analysts as the first in a wave of moves by other nations to retreat from free trade.
In a concession to Beijing, the statement doesn’t mention China by name and says excess steel capacity is a global issue.
Obama and Putin also discussed the conflict in Ukraine – a crisis that Obama had earlier discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. Washington has hiked import duties by 500 percent on Chinese steel to offset what it says are improper subsidies.
The U.N. chief recommended that the leaders of the developed and emerging countries that are part of the Group of 20 to make use of the momentum from the ratification of the climate pact by the USA and China.
But at a news conference wrapping up the event, he was due to face a barrage of questions on the various diplomatic flashpoints that arose during his final G20 summit, including efforts to broker a ceasefire in Syria and longstanding disputes with China and Russian Federation.
“If you’re looking for blood, steel overcapacity was the issue”, the official said.
It said new challenges including terrorism and immigration complicated the global economic outlook, and that the G20 agreed use all policy tools available to drive strong and sustainable growth.
Then, a Chinese security official blocked National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the tarmac and yelled at another USA official trying to help journalists get closer to Obama. “But I nevertheless believe the decisions made were right and we have to continue to work on them”.
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It got off to a rocky start Saturday when there was no staircase at the airport for Obama’s plane.
