Xi Jinping: The Leader Everyone Wants to Meet at the G20 – How Putin’s Isolation “Favors” Him

He is the leader everyone wants to meet during its summit G20: The Xi Jinping has returned to the limelight after three years of diplomatic isolation due to Covid-19.

From Bali the Chinese leader started a new marathon of meetings after the his one-on-one conversation with the president of the United States, Joe Biden, which allowed the easing of bilateral tension.

Smiles, warm handshakes, promises of climate and trade talks: Xi Jinping wanted to appear as a responsible leader, ready to tackle global issues and reduce tension.

“He is certainly trying to make up for lost time on the international stage” with this “charm business” says Danny Russell, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.

“The Biden-Xi summit created hope that the two powers are now willing to manage their global responsibilities in a different context and their bilateral differences,” says this former top State Department official.

All attention on Xi in Putin’s absence

THE international isolation of Putin it contrasts with the image that the Chinese leader projects these days.

The White House announced that Biden and Xi agreed on the fact that “a nuclear war must never be fought and cannot be won” in a clear criticism of Russia, even if the issue was not included in the official Chinese statement.

“Mr Putin’s absence focuses more attention on Mr Xi and gives him more opportunities to put his views forward,” Chong Ja-Ian, a professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, told AFP.

“Not having to meet Putin, with whom Mr. Xi gives the impression of having close relations, also allowed him not to be forced to defend or criticize Russian actions.”

The more cordial than expected tone of the US-China summit is putting Xi Jinping’s next interlocutors at ease, since there was no escalation between the Americans and the Chinese in Bali.

“Neither Biden nor Xi expected to win concessions on contentious issues from the other side when they met,” said Danny Russell of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

“However, they seem to have managed to reach at least one implicit agreement that these differences should not get in the way of their cooperation on major international priority issues.”