United States' trade war with China and a pending meeting of the two nations have contextualized the gathering of the Group of 20 (G20), which is being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The high-level summit, whose theme is "Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development," seeks to both foster multilateral cooperation and decrease the global effects of U.S. nationalist unilateralism.
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Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geng Shuang, when asked how China viewed the G20 summit prospects, responded that the Asian nation has consistently stressed that the essence of China-U.S. trade is mutual benefit and a win-win.
"We hope the U.S. can show sincerity and meet China halfway, to promote a proposal that both countries can accept," Shuang stated.
On the other side, the underlying spirit seems not to be the same. Earlier this week, according to The Diplomat, U.S. President Donald Trump showed a less conciliatory position.
"China has to open up their country to competition from the U.S.,” said Trump, who posed that option as the “the only deal that would really be acceptable."
#G20 La guerra comercial entre China y Estados Unidos, y el cambio climático, estrellas de la cumbre argentina https://t.co/9YVOoheNK5
— El Imparcial (@elimparciales) November 23, 2018
"The trade war between China and the United States, and climate change, stars of the Argentine summit.
China hopes to placate the trade war with Trump in the G20... France has been pessimistic about the White House's economic and climatic stances."
President Trump's reasoning is poised to create conflict among the members of the G20, an organization of countries whose economies account for around 85 percent of the world's production and nearly 75 percent of global trade.
Leaders of financial and commodities markets will be closely monitoring the summit's outcome, especially from a planned meeting between President Trump and China's President Xi Jinping Saturday.
The result of such the meeting, however, is far from fixed due to certain developments that could trigger geopolitical sensitivities. Two days before the critical bilateral meeting, U.S. Navy vessels sailed through the South China Sea, near islands that have been claimed by China.
Additionally, on the eve of the G20 summit, China's Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over the agitation maneuver.