Between Xi and Li, China reveals curious shift
Chinese premier Li Qiang at G20 Summit
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, September 9: China has seemingly struck conciliatory notes in two summits where the communist country was represented by premier Li Qiang in the absence of President Xi Jinping. With Li in the lead at G20 Summit after coming from his appearance for East Asia Summit, China is stressing on unity and inclusion themes.
Delhi Declaration was adopted by the G20 nations by consensus and China chose not to play the spoiler for the Indian presidency of the prestigious multilateral event. US national security advisor Jack Sullivan on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit had said that if China wanted to play the role of a spoiler that option was available to it. But China chose not to play the role of a spoiler.
In a marked departure from the BRICS Summit, as well as Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, when China had been rhetorical against the western nations’ bid to hegemonies in the world order, the Communist country is actually striking a conciliatory note.
When addressing the first session of the 18th G20 Summit, Premier Li Qiang called on G20 members to be partners for promoting global economic recovery, global open cooperation and global sustainable development. “We need unity instead of division, cooperation instead of confrontation, and inclusion instead of exclusion,” Xie Feng quoted Li having said in his remarks in one of sessions at the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Xie is the Chinese ambassador to the US.
While Xi had been going hammer and tongues against the western world at the SCO and BRICS Summits, Li has been accommodative in his statements. “In this turbulent world, we in East Asia have one hundred reasons to stick to cooperation and integration, and not a single reason to slip into division and confrontation,” Li said at the 18th East Asia Summit.
He reiterated at the East Asia Summit China’s readiness to work with all to uphold true multilateralism and open regionalism, keep to openness and inclusiveness, and strengthen solidarity and mutual assistance. The marked departure from rhetoric also assumes significance amid report that the elders in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had reprimanded Xi for the “direction China has taken under his watch, while the economy implodes”.
Ahead of Li’s visit to New Delhi for the G20 Summit, Chargé d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy in India Ma Jia gave an interview to CGTN in which she spoke at length of positives in the bilateral relations with India. “As the world economy is experiencing downward pressure, global sustainable development facing more challenges, it is more imperative than ever for all to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to address the world economic challenges,” said Ma, who added “we hope the New Delhi Summit will focus on development, form consensus on strengthening partnership and rising up to all these challenges, so as to contribute to world economic recovery and growth and global sustainable development”.
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