After Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed that his Russian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Chinese Xi Jinping, would attend the G20 summit scheduled for next November on the Indonesian island of Bali, expectations are that the two leaders’ presence alongside their Western counterparts will further escalate the risks at the group’s first meeting since the outbreak The conflict in Ukraine and the situation around Taiwan, at a time when the United States and the G7 countries encourage Indonesia to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a co-guest in a show of support for Ukraine.
In the context of various preparations, the “South China Morning Post” newspaper revealed that the Russian and Chinese leaders will appear at the G20 summit as a challenge to Western hegemony.
The newspaper pointed out, according to the Russian “Novosti” agency, that the tension in relations between Moscow and Beijing on the one hand, and the West on the other, is likely to cast a shadow over the G20 meeting and will have repercussions on other countries, regardless of their position on the Ukrainian crisis or tension. China and the United States on Taiwan. The newspaper quoted the Indonesian President, Joko Vidodo, in a statement in which he indicated that the dispute between the major countries is already causing concern, stressing that his country seeks to make this region peaceful and stable, so that we can guarantee economic growth, and I believe that Indonesia is not the only country that wants this. Asian want the same.
Meanwhile, Oxford Political Review analyst Brian Fong said that Xi Jinping’s visit to Bali will be his first overseas visit since the start of the Corona pandemic, saying: “Xi Jinping’s decision (to attend the Bali summit) aims to show the position of Strength and transparency in order to deepen and resume dialogue (with the whole world) at the level that existed before the pandemic.
He added that the Russian president’s decision to attend the summit “has a more symbolic character, and is an attempt by the beleaguered Russia to show that it still plays a central role and depends on the world order.”
Brian Fong also expressed doubt that the outside world would see this as a major sign of China’s willingness to open up, or a sign of Russia’s return to the international stage.
As for the expert in international relations from the University of Indonesia, Gaja Mada Nur Rahmat Yuliantoro, he expressed his belief that “the personal participation of the Chinese and Russian leaders at the summit can be considered a form of their opposition to Western hegemony in the international political system.”
“Xi Jinping will use this event to directly present Beijing’s position on various political, economic and security issues in the modern world,” he said.
Rahmat Yuliantoro added that the personal participation of all G20 leaders in the summit will show that Indonesia’s foreign policy is open, free and not subject to any one party, and strives for global security and peace.
As for the international relations expert at China Ocean University, Pan Junying, he pointed out that Western countries were asking Indonesia not to invite Russia to participate in the summit, but Jakarta did not succumb to these pressures, because this is an opportunity for Russia.
For months, US President Joe Biden and his advisers have been holding talks about how to deal with the G-20 if Putin is present, and it was a topic of discussion among his fellow world leaders at the G7 summit in Germany earlier this summer and at the NATO summit in Brussels in March .
The White House confirmed, in several statements, that US officials agreed with their allies in Western countries on the need to show a united front against Russia at the upcoming November summit. (agencies)