Geopolitics, terrorism weigh on G-20 summit in China

From K J M Varma Hangzhou, Sep 1 (PTI) As the world’s top leaders are setto discuss the state of the global economy at this weekend’sG-20 summit here, geopolitics, bilateral issues and growingthreat of terrorism have cast a shadow over the gatheringwhile host China is keen on avoiding any references to thesimmering South China Sea dispute. The meeting is set to take place in this picturesqueeastern city on September 4 and 5 at a time when a series ofterror attacks in many European countries claimed by ISIS havethreatened the international peace and security. For China, the summit comes at a time when it is waging agrim battle to minimise the impact of an internationaltribunal’s ruling which quashed its expansive claims on theSouth China Sea (SCS), besides tensions in its ties withIndia, Japan, Britain and the US. China’s irritation with the "S" word is palpable. "The South China Sea issue has nothing to do with thissummit," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunyinghad said in a media briefing recently when asked whether theissue would figure at the meeting. "I am not sure why you asked this question. It is knownto all that the G20 Summit is supposed to focus on how toinject vitality and impetus to world economic developmentserving as a platform prioritising and improving globaleconomic governance," she said. While the summit is a challenge to China’s diplomacy withits top diplomats tiptoeing around the ‘S’ issue, to ensurethat it does not figure in the joint statement, officials saythe big focus will remain on Chinese President Xi Jinping’sbilateral meetings with the leaders of the cream of the G20group including with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on thesidelines of the summit. Modi who is scheduled to arrive on September 3 will stayin the city for about 48 hours, an Indian diplomat said. Details of his meeting with Xi on the sidelines isstill being worked out. Chinese officials say besides Modi, it will be a big lineup of bilateral meets for Xi including with US PresidentBarack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and hisBritish counterpart Theresa May, each riddled with tenseissues. Officials say most of the meetings are still beingworked out. Modi and Xi have met several times and they enjoy afriendly rapport but this time the meeting is taking place ata time when the "Pakistan factor" is felt on Sino-Indian ties. From terrorism, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to USD46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) andBalochistan, the bilateral ties took considerable beating. Officials on both sides admit that a more free and frankexchanges between the two leaders could smoothen the roughedges. Xi and Modi will also have an opportunity to meet againin Goa next year during the BRICS (Brazil, Russia,India, China, South Africa) summit. "So they may carry forward their talks to thenext meeting," an official said. (MORE) PTI KJV PMS AKJPMS