All eyes are on Buenos Aires this weekend. The leaders of the Group of 20 strongest economies, aka G20, (we’ve got a list of those at the end) meet for their annual summit, supposedly to ensure global financial stability. Get that, Donald? The U.S. president’s “America First,” which has been replete with tariffs, hasn’t exactly engendered warm feelings — or confidence. It’s unlikely that will change this weekend. Among the key meetings will be one between Trump and China’s President, Xi Jinping. Trump has said he won’t back down with further tariffs on China, especially as the Asian giant has upped its espionage on U.S. tech firms.🔍 The question is: What will China do? Will they bend to Trump, or will they fight back? The U.S-China trade war has many uneasy.
We’re going to be watching that (and have a special China edition soon), along with how the bro-lovers Trump and Putin fare after Trump canceled on their meeting; what will other G20 leaders do when they run into Saudi Arabia’s Muhammed bin Salman? 😳; and how Argentina, which is having a terrible recession, handles its host duties. It’s the making of a global soap opera.
- Kaitlyn Schallhorn has put together this handy guide to Trump and the Argentina G20 summit: What to know about the large gathering of world leaders. (Fox News)
- At the G20 summit, can Donald Trump stop being the wrecking ball of the postwar global order? asks Robin Wright. (New Yorker) 🤔
- Since helping to mitigate the global financial crisis, the G20 has degenerated from a platform for action to a forum for discussion. In the age of Donald Trump, it could sink even further, becoming a vehicle for legitimating illegal behavior, from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to Saudi Arabia’s murder of a journalist, says Ana Palacio. (Project Syndicate)
- Can the G20 save globalization’s waning reputation? Catherine Tsalikis discusses. (Centre for International Governance Innovation)
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on a “normalization tour” and his next stop is the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. Global leaders should not let MBS use photo ops and meetings with them to normalize his behavior, writes Bessma Momani. (Globe and Mail)
- The U.S. has strongly criticized China for its Uighur internment camps. But some worry progress on trade at the upcoming G20 summit could lead the Trump administration to soften its criticism, writes Sigal Samuel. (The Atlantic)
- The G20 offers Argentina’s President, Mauricio Macri, a distraction from recession – for now, says Cecilia Tornaghi. (Americas Quarterly)
The members of the G20: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
(Yeah, we sighed at the tagline “Building a Consensus for a Fair and Sustainable Development,” too.)
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