G20 Summit 2016 Hangzhou – What do you choose to focus on?

The G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on September 4–5 was either a big success or a series of small misses. It depends on what you focus on. The western press focused on areas of friction during the event, particularly regarding the press and the Chinese hosts. US President Barack Obama played down the friction and said that it takes place at these kinds of events, even with US allies.

This is perhaps the last meeting for President Obama and President Xi during Mr. Obama’s term of office. Of importance was their committing to the Paris agreement to curb emissions leading to global warming. This may have been the high point of Mr. Obama’s Hangzhou visit.

For Mr. Xi, and the Chinese side, the G20 was a Chinese “win” showing China’s ability to host such an important international event and underscoring its decades of “reform and opening up” which Mr. Xi covered in Keynote to the event. In his closing remarks Mr. Xi noted the achievements of the meeting and highlighted the change in the function of the G20 is global economic problem solving.

So what happened at Hangzhou? Nothing much, or a great deal?   For China, a great deal, and all of it important.

President Xi Jinping’s closing remarks on the Hangzhou meeting

G20 Leader’s Communiqué on closing of Hangzhou meeting

Photo: Narendra Modi via flickr