France and China arm common front against climate change in G20

[Blexfraptor]

As expected, the G20 Summit in Argentina started hot and with China and the United States at the center of the discussion.

But not only because of the tension about the commercial war, but also with the backlog of the unresolved in the last meeting: the Paris Agreement on climate change, which divides the positions of the powers, especially given the view of President Donald Trump, who recently said he does not believe in climate change.

That is why this Friday, the alliance between China and France to defend multilateralism against climate change was understood as the first friction with the United States.

"The international community decided to continue with multilateralism to find a solution to climate change. China is not going to change its decisions on climate change, "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference during a meeting with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean Yves Le Drian, and the Secretary General of the United Nations. , António Guterres.

Wang Yi added: "We will continue to work in South-South cooperation to build a more ecological world."

The alliance between the two countries aims to show leadership ahead of the Climate Summit, COP24, which begins on December 3, and points out the divergence with the position of Trump, who dismissed the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) .

"We underline a shared understanding of the challenges of climate change as highlighted in the latest IPCC report," the three agencies responded in a joint statement.

But already on this Friday morning, the White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, had sent darts against China. "Today (Thursday), before the start of the G20 Summit, President Trump had breakfast with (Mauricio) Macri. The two leaders reiterated their shared commitment to face challenges such as Venezuela and China's predatory economic activity, "he said.

We will continue working on South-South cooperation to build a greener world.

The adjective forced Argentina's Foreign Minister, Jorge Faurie, to lower the tone of those words and to point out that this rating is on account of the US statement.

Putin and Bin Salmán, friends
The other tension of the summit was due to the presence of the Saudi Prince, Mohamed bin Salmán, and the denunciations against him for war crimes in Yemen and the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

However, of all the world leaders gathered in Argentina it was the one who was most smiling, especially after greeting affectionately with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, his presence was not uncomfortable for some, and even the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said she will meet with the Saudi prince and speak "strongly" about "the terrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi."

"I will speak strongly about two issues that concern me. First, the terrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the importance of a complete, transparent and credible investigation. But also about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, "he told British media.

The other conflict involving Putin, who carries a growing conflict in the Sea of Azov, in the Crimean peninsula, also had positions, this time of the European Union.

"The escalation in the Sea of Azov is something that seriously worries us because Russia has used its ships against Ukraine and that is unacceptable. Europe is united and supporting the sovereignty of Ukraine. The EU is going to increase sanctions against Russia in December, "said Donald Tusk, president of the European Council.

In his reply, Vladimir Putin denounced the use of "unilateral sanctions" and trade protectionism as a "vicious practice". "You can not help but see that dishonest competition is increasingly replacing an honest dialogue, based on the principle of equality among states. There is a vicious practice of resorting to illegal unilateral sanctions and protectionist measures, "Putin said, stressing that this" has a serious negative effect on the spirit of international cooperation. "

The T-Mec was signed
Beyond phrases and sparks between presidents, yesterday the new trade agreement was signed between the United States, Mexico and Canada, T-Mec, with the presence of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. This was his last international act because this Saturday he handed the mandate to his successor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

"I congratulate you for finishing your term with this milestone," Trump told the Mexican. The signature was made behind closed doors at the hotel where Trump is staying, with access only for the press that travels with the delegations of these countries, before the official start of the Summit.

The meeting officially began at noon, when the presidents took the "family photo" in which the presence of only two women and the absence of Angela Merkel, who had not arrived in Buenos Aires due to a technical problem in the airplane. Merkel had to make the trip on a commercial airline arrived on Friday night to Buenos Aires.

In the afternoon there were also protests in the streets of Buenos Aires in the framework of the march of the People's Summit, but at the close of this edition there was no disturbance. However, three protesters were arrested.

This Saturday, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the plenary session of the leaders will be held and it will be known if the G20 Summit reached any consensus beyond the geopolitical tensions of its members.

But it will be the dinner this Saturday night, between Trump and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, which will define one of the great questions of the Summit: how will these powers manage the trade war they face?