The Group of 20 Summit will be held. The world's eyes now turn to Bali. The bilateral meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden is expected to attract attention.
By
LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR, B JOSIE SUSILO HARDIANTO
·5 minutes read
MARINA EKATARI
The G20 Summit in Bali will enter its climax on November 14-15 2022. The President of the United States, Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with the President of China, Xi Jinping, Monday (14/11/2022).
NUSA DUA, KOMPAS — A number of leaders from Group of 20 member countries have arrived in Bali. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, as the host, landed at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport about 08.00 on Sunday (13/11/2022).
Then, about an hour later, the United States presidential plane, Air Force One, carrying President Joe Biden landed. Ngurah Rai Airport also welcomed the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who led the Russian delegation. President Vladimir Putin will not come to Bali.
On Sunday afternoon, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Islamic Development Bank Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser and Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon arrived in Denpasar.
Previously, in a press conference held last Saturday, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said that as many as 16 state leaders, plus one head of a regional organization, would attend the G20 Summit to be held November 15-16 in Nusa Dua, Bali.
The three heads of state who were absent were the President of Brazil, the President of Mexico and the President of Russia.
In this G20 Summit event, Luhut said, a total of 12,750 invited guests came. Apart from the G20 government delegation, there were also business people and non-governmental organizations present.
On spotlight
Previously, many parties paid attention to Putin's planned presence. Now attention is directed to the planned bilateral meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin previously sparked world attention after deciding to attack Ukraine on February 24.
The attack made the West-Russia dispute even deeper. The tension affected the situation within the G20. A number of Western leaders had reported that they would attend the summit if Putin came.
However, through intense diplomatic and communication efforts by President Joko Widodo as well as all of the members of the Cabinet, including Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, as well as various groups, tensions appear to have subsided.
KOMPAS/DEONISIA ARLINTA
Indonesian President Joko Widodo launched the Pandemic Fund which was carried out during the G20 Indonesia Presidency in Nusa Dua, Bali, Sunday (13/11/2022). In his remarks delivered online, Jokowi said the world must have financial certainty to deal with future pandemics.
A number of agreements have been reached, one of which is the Pandemic Fund. From the business world, they also have agreed to participate in efforts to reduce geopolitical tensions between G20 members.
On the other hand, Putin's absence can be seen from a more positive perspective. Russia "provides space" more freely for G20 leaders to dialogue. Putin does not want the G20 Summit to lose focus and become a land for political debate.
At present, after the situation is "more calm", the world's eyes are on President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden, who are reported to hold a bilateral meeting in Bali. The US Embassy in Jakarta said it could not yet confirm the bilateral meeting. Until the US presidential plane, Air Force One, landed, every agenda could still change.
Likewise, the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta did not want to report Xi's arrival schedule and the schedule of his bilateral meetings. However, from information circulating in the last week, it is certain that Biden and Xi will meet.
The US wants to discuss four things with China, namely North Korea's nuclear missile test, China's attitude toward Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's increasing intrusion in the Taiwan Strait and trade and supply-chain wars.
The Biden-Xi meeting is the first to be held in person after Biden was sworn in as US President in 2021. They first met when they served as vice presidents of their respective countries in 2011.
The face-to-face meeting is important because US-China relations and the current world situation are complex. "Online discussion is not enough. Face-to-face meetings allow for various gestures and speeches that are richer and more meaningful than just political chats," said Xiong Zhiyong, lecturer at China University of International Relations.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told the Global Times that the focus of Xi's presence at the G20 Summit was to show solidarity and cooperation for the world's macroeconomy.
Today is not the era of geopolitical camps.
Beijing has emphasized the importance of inclusive cooperation to ensure free trade and globalization. All are based on the spirit of not interfering with each other, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial solutions. "Today is not the era of geopolitical camps," he said.
Apart from the dynamics of China-US relations, the G20 Summit still has a big task, namely to produce a joint agreement, at least a declaration. This will fuel all the efforts that have been made by stakeholders -- especially at the G20 -- in the past year.
Lecturer in the International Relations Study Program at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Teuku Rezasyah, said Indonesia in the era of President Joko Widodo wanted to leave a good legacy. Continuing the values of the Non-Aligned Movement, Indonesia will oversee this process to completion. "Diplomats and negotiators will be very careful, avoiding dictions that make them uncomfortable," said Rezasyah.
Indonesia, which positions itself as a bridge, according to him, will prioritize the principle of cooperation and be based on respect for and implementation of international laws. (AP/AFP)
/https%3A%2F%2Fasset.kgnewsroom.com%2Fphoto%2Fpre%2F2022%2F11%2F13%2F73a38386-f34d-49f1-b09f-ddbfaef76255_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
