Debriefing the G20 Summit
This year's G20 Summit revealed the tensions that exist in world politics: China and the United States addressed trade disputes, the United States was the sole participant not to pledge to combat climate change, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a key figure.
The Group of Twenty, or G20, is an international forum where 20 of the world's most influential political leaders meet. According to The Telegraph, "the group accounts for 85 percent of world GDP and two-thirds of its population." The annual meeting was first held 17 years ago.
To temporarily ease the tensions that created the trade disputes, the United States and China have made a 90-day truce in which American President Donald Trump agreed not to increase tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imported goods. In return, China will continue to purchase American goods and agriculture.
President Donald Trump was the only leader who did not agree to the terms concerning environmental regulation that were laid out by the rest of the G20 participants. He continued to rebuke the Paris Agreement as he has since 2017 when he announced that he wishes for the United States to withdraw from the agreement.
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke briefly together about Russia having taken hostage Ukrainian sailors and naval vessels. President Putin did not seem to believe that their exchange was productive, saying that each has his own set position on the matter.
Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he must prevent killings like that of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on 2 Oct. She wants to ensure that those responsible for his murder be held accountable.
French President Emmanuel Macron takes the podium. Image Credit: Flickr/G20 Argentina
France's President Emmanuel Macron also spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about oil prices, also discussing the ways that Saudi Arabia could have a hand in changing those prices. Over the past few weeks, President Macron seems to have a lot at stake over the price of oil both in his country and abroad.
Visual representations of what the G2O Summit affects and its top priorities. Image Credit: G20.org
This year's assembly included the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. There are guests who joined these countries including Chile, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Singapore, Senegal, and Spain.
Next year's forum will be held in Japan and in 2020 the G20 Summit will be held in Saudi Arabia.
