G20 Summit Opens in Bali

Facts

• The annual Group of 20 (G20) summit opened on Tuesday in Bali, Indonesia, under the theme "Recovering Together, Growing Stronger," amid global economic challenges such as food and energy insecurity and the Ukraine war.
• Opening the summit of the world's largest economies, Indonesian president and summit host Joko Widodo called for an end to the Ukraine war and efforts to achieve an "inclusive global recovery." The G20, Widodod said, must not descend "into another cold war."
• Via video stream, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his counterparts to end Russia's "destructive war" and advocated for an extension of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grains Initiative, set to expire on Nov. 19.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — who is attending the summit in place of Pres. Vladimir Putin — has claimed Kyiv is prolonging the conflict in Ukraine by not listening to Western advice, and also dismissed attempts to condemn Russia's invasion as unwarranted "politicization" by Western countries. A US official reportedly said the US expected Russia to be criticized over the impact of the conflict on the global economy.
• A draft communiqué agreed to by G20 delegates on Monday says "most members" condemn the war in Ukraine, stressing that it has exacerbated the world economy's fragility. The document's final version is expected to be adopted by leaders on Wednesday, the summit's second and final day.
• Meanwhile, Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping called on the G20 to avoid "weaponizing" food and energy, with Xi and French Pres. Emmanuel Macron reiterating that the use of nuclear weapons must be prevented. Xi also called for joint efforts to combat global inflation.

Sources: Business Standard, DW, BBC News, Reuters, FT, and National News.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Global Times. The G20 summit reflects the emergence of a new multipolar world order, which is why the US — despite its fabricated claims of wanting to cooperate — won't succeed in exploiting the summit to impede the rise of China. The Global South's new self-confidence is evident, and the West will not be able to convince the rest of the world to abide by its hypocritical mandates at this summit.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by DW. As evinced by the recent positive talks between Xi and Biden, the US is making an impressive comeback on the world stage. Russia is coming under increasing pressure over its brutal war of aggression, especially as China apparently now sees a serious threat in Moscow's nuclear rhetoric. These are positive signs that pressure will jointly be increased on Russia, forcing it to end the war and allowing the rules-based world order to once again contribute to the well-being of humanity.

Predictions