As Prime Minister Modi & Bharat warms up to president Biden and other world leaders for the G-20 summit in New Delhi president Putin & Xi jinping would be conspicuous by their absence.
Both leaders have been hemmed in by domestic events and some of their own making. Xi obviously spooked Bharat and a few other countries of ASEAN by bringing out a map depicting Arunachal & Aksai Chin as part of China. Taiwan & large parts of South China sea have also been shown as part of China.
China’s new map drew the ire of Vietnam, Taiwan, Phillipines Malaysia & Indonesia who were spontaneous in their condemnation of China’s territorial greed under Xi jinping.
President Putin has curtailed his travel to avoid arrest abroad after the International Criminal Court held him guilty of war crimes in Ukraine, a charge vehemently denied by the Kremlin.
In a rebuff to China & it’s hegemony PM Modi made it a point to attend the ASEAN summit in Jakara even as world leaders were arriving in New Delhi for the G -20 summit.Most of the ASEAN members have territorial issues with China and it’s expansionist policy under Xi. Modi unambiguously called for a free Indo pacific in a direct reference to China ‘s expansionist designs.
However it’s the Biden Modi rendezvous that holds centrestage as the two leaders foster personal bonds and enhance the strategic partnership between the two oldest & the largest democracies.
President Biden who is on a first visit to Bharat towards the fag end of his Presidency deplaned from Air Force -1 and headed straight for PM’s residence for the bilateral meet.
The US congress approved the deal for technology transfer and manufacturing of F414 fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force just ahead of President Biden’s visit to Bharat.
Modi could use his personal leverage with President Biden to enhance the world bank aid package towards the poorer economies particularly the African nations who are victims of China’s debt diplomacy.
The African union could be a part of the G-20 in the near future as Bharat champions the cause of global south.
While climate change, energy crisis & economic issues are likely to be on top of the agenda at the G-20 summit it would be interesting to see the strategy adopted by the two powerful democratically elected leaders Biden & Modi to check dictator Xi jinping’s and China’s hegemonistic designs and economic clout.
In the absence of Putin & Xi a joint communique is highly unlikely and it would be interesting to see if the G-20 members agree on any common ground or issue a joint declaration. Bharat would like a Delhi declaration but that is still a work in progress.
Biden and other western leaders are sure to bring up the Ukraine war and it’s social impact particularly the foodgrain crisis impacting the poorer economies. Bharat would be under pressure from the west to exert pressure on Putin and it will need some deft diplomacy on the part of Bharat to assure and assuage the West of it’s role like it has done with aplomb in the past.
