G20 leaders were yesterday holding the final day of a summit that offered some impetus to stalled UN climate talks, diverged on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East — and foresaw global turbulence as Donald Trump readies to take over the US presidency.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, host of the Rio gathering, scored a first-day triumph by getting 82 countries to sign up to a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty he launched.
US President Joe Biden represented his nation at the meeting, but as a diminished figure, eclipsed by the impending return of Trump as the US’ leader in January. Biden even missed a group photo of the leaders on Monday when he and the prime ministers of Canada and Italy turned up for it just after it had been taken.
Photo: AFP
In a joint summit declaration issued late on Monday, the leaders did not give a major breakthrough to COP29 climate talks taking place concurrently in Azerbaijan.
They did not end a deadlock over which countries have to stump up climate financing, saying in a joint statement the money needed to come from “all sources.”
However, they did encourage developing nations represented in Baku by acknowledging that “trillions” of US dollars — not billions — were needed to help them cope with global warming.
However, the imminent return of Trump was on many minds at G20 — mixed in with the issues of climate change, an escalation in the war in Ukraine, and economic pressures that are dealing political instability in some democracies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) said the world faced a new period of “turbulence” and there should be “no escalation of wars, and no fanning of flames.”
European Council President Charles Michel said: “The world is on a knife edge.”
The summit statement welcomed “all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just and durable peace” in Ukraine, but, as with previous G20 gatherings, there was no mention of Russian aggression.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the “good” move by Biden allowing Ukraine to use long-range US missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory.
However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he would not be swayed by Biden’s move and stood by his position to not give his country’s sophisticated Taurus missiles to Kyiv.
The conflicts raging in the Middle East, where Israel is waging offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, also preoccupied the G20, which called for “comprehensive” ceasefires in both territories.
Lula had his work cut out for him to steer discussions toward social agenda issues close to his left-wing stance, but managed by also garnering leaders’ support for a bid to make billionaires pay more tax.
The summit statement included a pledge to “engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed,” and to devise mechanisms to prevent them dodging tax authorities.
Yet that topic, along with references to regulating social media content and breaking gender norms, earned some resistance from Argentine President Javier Milei, an ardent fan of Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
Milei did not block the summit statement, but publicly declared his opposition to those points and others, such as increasing state intervention to combat hunger.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday declared emergency martial law, accusing the opposition of being “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime” amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill. “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation. “With no regard for the livelihoods of the people, the opposition party has paralysed governance solely for the sake of impeachments, special investigations, and shielding their leader from justice,” he
CHINA: The activities come amid speculation that Beijing might launch military exercises in response to Lai’s recent visit to Pacific allies The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said China had nearly doubled the number of its warships operating around the nation in the previous 24 hours, ahead of what security sources expect would be a new round of war games. China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organize military drills around the nation in response to President William Lai’s (賴清德) recent visit to Pacific allies, including stops in Hawaii and Guam, a US territory. Lai returned from the week-long trip on Friday night. Beijing has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan this year, and sends ships and military planes
China is trying to set a "red line" for the incoming Trump administration and US allies by stepping up military activities in the region, a senior Taiwan security official said, including likely war games this weekend around Taiwan. China has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan so far this year, and its forces operate nearby on a daily basis. The official confirmed concerns expressed by other security officials in the region who have previously told Reuters that China could launch new drills to coincide with Taiwan President William Lai's (賴清德) trip to the Pacific this week which included visits to
‘UNITED FRONT’: Beijing provides Internet ‘influencers’ with templates and directions, such as criticizing Taiwanese politicians, the rapper said Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) in a video showed how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) bribes Taiwanese online influencers in its “united front” efforts to shape Taiwanese opinions. The video was made by YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” and published online on Friday. Chen in the video said that China’s United Front Work Department provided him with several templates and materials — such as making news statements — with some mentioning Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politician Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and asking him to write a song criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party. He said he had produced
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