Policy Alert #240 | November 3, 2021

The Group of Twenty (G20) convened on October 30-31, 2021 for the Rome Summit, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) on October 31 – November 12, 2021. Leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies – with the exception of China, Russia, Japan and Mexico – met for the first time in-person since the start of the pandemic. On the first day, health and the economy were top of the agenda, with the subsequent Rome Declaration notably establishing a global minimum tax rate, which will see the profits of large businesses taxed at least 15%. The more difficult climate discussions were saved for the second day but hopes the Rome Summit might pave the way to success in Glasgow have dimmed considerably. The G20 appeared to make few commitments to strong measures necessary to avert the threat of climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres summarized his thoughts on the G20 in a tweet: “While I welcome the #G20’s recommitment to global solutions, I leave Rome with my hopes unfulfilled — but at least they are not buried… onwards to #COP26 in Glasgow.”

China

President Xi Jinping attended the G20 Summit via video link while State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the summit in-person as Xi’s special representative. Xi has not left China since January 2020, ostensibly due to COVID-19, though officials have not said so explicitly. In a press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin outlined Xi’s remarks, which provided a “formula pointing out that the international community should work in solidarity to combat COVID-19, take effective measures to promote world economic recovery and adopt long-term policies to improve global governance.” Wenbin underlined China’s commitment to “deeply participate in G20 cooperation,” and told reporters to “stay tuned” for information about China’s attendance at COP26. 

On the sidelines of the G20, Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met face-to-face, locking horns over Taiwan. While the U.S. accused China of aggressive action in the Taiwan Strait, Wang Yi urged the U.S. to “pursue a real one-China policy, instead of a fake one.” According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Blinken had reaffirmed that “the U.S. will keep insistence on the one-China policy.” The meeting was “exceptionally candid” but productive, according to one U.S. official, and will help lay the groundwork for a virtual Biden-Xi summit later this year. 

• In the nationalist Global Times, Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, contrasts the diplomats’ Rome meeting to the Alaska meeting in March: “In contrast to the March meeting… when the Biden administration had not yet fully defined its China policy, the meeting in Rome focused on very specific issues… The main purpose… for the Chinese delegation was to warn the U.S. to be careful… on Taiwan.” 
• The independent South China Morning Post reports Biden had criticized Chinese and Russian contributions at the G20 amid the leaders’ absences: “Russia and… China basically didn’t show up in terms of any commitments to deal with climate. And there’s a reason why people should be disappointed in that. I found it disappointing myself.” 

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was notably the only leader among the rising powers to attend the G20 Summit in-person. Modi discussed a wide range of issues in his address, including climate change and pandemic recovery, stating, “To fight the global corona pandemic, we have put forward the vision of ‘One Earth-One Health’ to the world. This vision can become a great strength for the world to deal with any such crisis in future.” He invited the member countries “to make India their trusted partner in their economic recovery and supply chain diversification.” 

In addition, Modi held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20. In a press release regarding India’s bilateral meeting with French President Macron, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a “free, open and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.” “I do recall that AUKUS came up but very tangentially in the conversation,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla added. Furthermore, Modi made his first-ever visit to Pope Francis in Vatican City.

• The liberal Hindustan Times laments that the message from Rome is simple: “Chances of a breakthrough at the Glasgow climate conference are slim.”
• The pro-government The Pioneer argues that Modi’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit India is building India’s global image: “This should somewhat help Modi to shun his Hindu hardliner approach that the world is wary of… A little change in perception and approach can change the way the world sees India.”
• In an op-ed for the liberal Indian Express, Tejal Kanitkar, associate professor at NIAS, Bangalore, warns that India’s efforts in the energy sector are evidence that it is punching far above its weight in climate action: “The pressure on developing countries to ‘do more’ and declare similar net-zero pledges as developed countries… is… shifting the burden of climate action onto the backs of the world’s poorest populations.”
• The business-focused The Economic Times criticizes the leaders of the G20 for their “timid leadership” on climate and the economy: “The G20 agreed on the tax accord reached by 136 countries, for a minimum rate of corporate tax across nations…How tough is endorsing a done deal?”

Japan  

Due to Japan’s general election on October 31, Fumio Kishida, Japan’s new prime minister, attended the G20 virtually. Kishida shared his economic policy in an online presentation during the Global Economy and Global Health session of the summit. The Japanese prime minister will be present in-person at COP26 in Glasgow, which marks his first overseas trip since becoming prime minister on October 4. Kishida told COP26 Japan would offer $10 billion over five years in additional assistance to support decarbonization in Asia. During his stay in Glasgow, Kishida is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

• The centrist Japan Times indicates Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s desire to partake in diplomatic activities amid China’s growing clout: “Kishida is set to pledge that Japan will play a leading role in putting Asia on a path to zero carbon emissions as he attends a UN climate summit… while seeking to network with countries sharing concerns over China’s assertiveness on the sidelines.”

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the G20 Summit in-person, nor is he expected to attend the subsequent climate summit, but he took part via video link. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov conveyed Putin’s decision was driven by the pandemic. Putin complained about the lack of international recognition for its Sputnik V vaccine at the G20, urging leaders to discuss the mutual recognition of vaccines. During the G20 Summit, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected U.S. allegations that Russia was not doing enough on climate change. Asked why Russia did not subscribe to net zero by 2050, Lavrov responded, “G7 negotiated the draft declaration… that is how the original declaration contained 2050 as a date… We do not like to go by…empty promises… We will reach carbon neutrality by.. 2060… but nobody has proven…2050 is something everybody must subscribe to.”