The View | A possible Trump-Xi deal on the G20 summit sidelines means other noble priorities will have to wait

Alex He says with China and the US under pressure to cut a deal, Argentina’s identified priorities for the summit have been overshadowed

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and US President Donald Trump share a moment during friendlier times at a G20 summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2017. With tensions between China and the US having escalated into a trade war, all eyes will be on the two leaders at this year’s meeting. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 11:00pm, 28 Nov 2018Updated: 7:40am, 29 Nov 2018

Argentina’s G20 presidency has identified the future of work, infrastructure for development and sustainable food as priorities. However, a decade of history shows that it can be challenging for this high-level forum to stay focused on its agenda and not be distracted by international hot-button issues.

The prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies, China and the United States, is likely to steal the spotlight at the coming G20 Leaders’ Summit. The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Buenos Aires summit will no doubt make the headlines. As the only planned meeting between the leaders before the pending 25 per cent tariffs come into effect on January 1, it is likely to leave the G20’s agenda in the shadows.

Over the past decade, China’s level of influence at the G20 summits has fluctuated. At the 2008 summit, Beijing emerged as a self-proclaimed saviour for the global economy. In 2010 and 2011, China focused its efforts on resisting pressure on the renminbi exchange rate. In 2016, China hosted the G20 summit and proudly offered solutions to the challenges facing global economic growth and development, calling itself “a leader” in global economic governance. However, it seems that China’s interest in and impact on the G20 have since faded.

Top Chinese leaders appreciate the opportunities the G20 provides to meet other world leaders. The significance of sideline dialogues during the summits has always been an underlining priority for China’s participation. This year will be no different, with the meeting with Trump on trade being of particular importance to China.

The trade war has reached an impasse. Facing unprecedented pressure on its long-standing economic and trade behaviour, as well as its difficult domestic economic restructuring, China must show some flexibility in its policies on market access, strengthened intellectual property protection and industrial policy, in order to reach a truce with the US. This, in addition to defending itself on key issues such as state-owned enterprises’ role in economy and trade, as well as future reform of the World Trade Organisation, will be China’s mission at the G20 in Argentina.