Advertisement
Xi and Putin tipped to stage joint show of defiance against West at G20 summit in Bali
- November’s gathering of world leaders offers the pair the chance to reassert their importance on the world stage, analysts say
- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has confirmed they plan to attend in spite of Western pressure for the Russian leader not to be invited
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
99+
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin may use an appearance at the upcoming G20 summit in Bali to stage a joint show of defiance against Western dominance and reassert their international importance, diplomatic observers have said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has confirmed for the first time that the two were planning to attend the summit in November, telling Bloomberg: “Xi Jinping will come. President Putin has also told me he will come.”
Tensions between the two powers and the West are likely to cast a long shadow over the Group of 20 gathering and have implications for other countries regardless of their stance on issues such as Russia’s war in Ukraine or tensions between the United States and China.
Advertisement
“The rivalry of the big countries is indeed worrying,” Widodo said. “What we want is for this region to be stable, peaceful, so that we can build economic growth. And I think not only Indonesia: Asian countries also want the same thing.”
Neither Beijing nor the Kremlin confirmed Widodo’s comments, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying on Friday: “We are ready to step up coordination and cooperation with Indonesia to ensure the full success of the summit.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x