Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the world to avoid “weaponising” food and energy as the war in Ukraine and its economic fallout topped the agenda at the G20 leaders' summit in Bali.
In only his second international trip since the start of the pandemic, Mr Xi had face-to-face meetings with international leaders in a bid to reset a number of key relationships.
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Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, right, passes the gavel to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Bali. EPA -
Leaders and delegates at the handover ceremony. EPA -
US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet to discuss an apparent missile strike on Polish territory near the border with Ukraine at the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia. AFP -
Mr Trudeau, Mr Biden and Mr Sunak at the meeting. AFP -
Mr Biden talks on the phone with Polish President Andrzej Duda as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, centre, and Mr Blinken listen. AP -
President Sheikh Mohamed speaks with Siti Nurbaya, Indonesia's Minister of Environment and Forestry, after planting a mangrove tree as part of the G20 Summit at the Tahura Ngurah Rai mangrove conservation park. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Leaders take part in a mangrove planting event at the Tahura Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest Park. AP -
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre right, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, Mr Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plant mangroves. AFP -
Front, left to right, Mr Scholz, Mr Biden, Mr Widodo, Ms von der Leyen, Ms Meloni. Seocnd row, left to right, Mr Michel, World Bank President David Malpass, Mr Sanchez, Mr Rutte, Mr Modi, Mr Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. AFP -
Mr Macron and Mr Modi hold a working lunch. AFP -
Mr Sunak shakes hands with Mr Biden during a bilateral meeting. Getty -
Mr Modi and Mr Macron. AP -
Mr Scholz, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a bilateral meeting. EPA -
From left, Mr Biden, Mr Modi, Mr Widodo and Ms von der Leyen hold up their shovels during the mangrove planting. AP -
Mr Albanese, centre, meets with Mr Michel and Ms von der Leyen. EPA -
US President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Poland. AFP -
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives for a tree planting event at the Taman Hutan Raya Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest in Bali. AP -
Indonesian President Joko Widodo with a mangrove sapling at the forest park. Reuters -
US President Joe Biden speaks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia. AP -
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have a discussion on the sidelines of the summit. AFP -
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, talks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a leaders' lunch. AP -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. AFP -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. EPA -
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks to US President Joe Biden. Getty Images -
From left, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Mr Erdogan, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. AP -
International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva. AP -
Mr Sunak and Crown Prince Mohammed during a bilateral meeting at the summit. AP -
President Sheikh Mohamed with Mr Widodo at the G20. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Mohamed with French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
From left, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Mr Macron, Mr Biden and Mr Modi in Bali. AFP -
Mr Widodo addresses the summit in Nusa Dua. AP -
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives at the summit. EPA -
China's President Xi Jinping takes his seat with other world leaders. AFP -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends the first working session. AP -
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the meeting. AP -
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks past the flags of assembled nations. AFP -
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives. AP -
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed talks with Indonesia's Mr Widodo. AFP -
Mr Macron, left, shakes hands with Mr Xi before a meeting between the two leaders. AFP -
European Council President Charles Michel arrives at the summit. Reuters
Mr Xi and France’s President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that the world needed to prevent the use of nuclear arms in Ukraine at a meeting held hours after the Chinese leader agreed with US President Joe Biden that a nuclear war should not be fought as it cannot be won.
In his comments to world leaders, he appeared to balance his comments between warnings to Russia and opposition to western sanctions.
“We must firmly oppose politicisation, instrumentalisation and weaponisation of food and energy problems,” Mr Xi said.
“Drawing ideological lines and stirring up opposition among political blocs and factions will only divide the world and obstruct the advancement of humankind.”
He said the world’s wealthy nations must contain the fallout of interest rate increases, as the US Federal Reserve and other central banks move aggressively to fight inflation.
“We must contain global inflation and resolve systematic risks in the economy and finance,” Mr Xi said.
“Developed economies should reduce the negative spillover effects of their monetary policy adjustments and stabilise debts at a sustainable level.”
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to their highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis as it seeks to tighten the money supply in an effort to control inflation.
The US monetary stance has pushed the dollar up to levels not seen in two decades, causing distress for developing economies that rely on exports or that are trying to curb inflation themselves.
As well as Ukraine, Mr Xi and Mr Macron also discussed financial support for indebted poorer nations.
“They expressed their determination to move forward with the implementation of a common debt framework, and raised the particularly urgent case of Zambia,” the Elysee Palace said.
Mr Xi's attendance at the summit came after a three-hour meeting on Monday night with Mr Biden where the pair agreed to work to close the yawning gap between the two powers.
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US President Joe Biden holds virtual talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington in March. Reuters -
The virtual summit between the presidents, which lasted more than three hours, is displayed on screens in Beijing. Getty -
Mr Biden speaks to Mr Xi, again virtually, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House last November. EPA -
In 2015, US president at the time Barack Obama (2R), Mr Xi (2L) and their delegations meet at the White House, with then vice president Joe Biden (3R) and Secretary of State John Kerry also participating. Reuters -
The pair shake hands in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in December 2013. Getty -
The pair meet in Los Angeles in February 2012, when each was vice president. EPA -
Mr Biden speaks to a Mandarin language class in South Gate, California, in February 2012, as Mr Xi listens. EPA -
Mr Xi applauds next to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Mr Biden (L) at a luncheon at the State Department in Washington in February 2012. Reuters -
Mr Biden and Mr Xi make their way to view an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing in August 2011. Getty -
The pair inspect the honour guard at Great Hall of the People, Beijing, in 2011, part of Mr Biden's official visit to China. Getty
With smiles and handshakes – as well as promises of further talks on climate change and trade – Mr Xi returned to centre stage after three years of self-imposed pandemic isolation that drastically curtailed his foreign meetings.
His agenda also included meetings with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo – the G20 summit host – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida.
With Chinese-Australian high-level meetings on ice, Mr Albanese said he was “very pleased” to be meeting Mr Xi at the summit.
“We have had our differences,” he acknowledged but added that “our bilateral relationship is an important one”.
Additional reporting by agencies
