US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan was responding to a question on the impact of India-China border tensions on the G20 summit at a White House press conference on Tuesday.
He said, “As far as the tension between India and China affecting the (G20) summit is concerned, it really depends on China. If China wants to come in and play spoiler, that is certainly an option available to them.
Sullivan said, “I think India, the current chair of the G20, will encourage them to do what the United States and virtually every other member, every other member of the G20 is doing, namely climate, multilateral development, bank reform. , come up with creative ways to really focus on problem solving and working for developing countries beyond debt relief, technical and geopolitical issues.”
China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend this week’s G20 summit in New Delhi and that the delegation will be led by Premier Li Keqiang. The ministry expressed Beijing’s readiness to work with all parties to make this high-profile meeting a success.
China has not given any specific reason for not participating in the G-20 summit. In June 2020, relations between India and China were strained after a clash between troops in the Galwan Valley. India has clearly told China that relations between the two countries cannot move forward unless there is peace in the border areas.
India is hosting the annual G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. Sullivan said President Joe Biden will take a clear stance at the G20 summit that America expects real progress.
“It will take a clear stance that all G20 members must come together constructively, no exceptions,” he said. We are also making progress on other key priorities, from climate to health and digital technology, including commitments to a more inclusive digital transformation and a responsible path and approach to AI development.
Sullivan said the reality is that the social and economic consequences of Russia’s illegal war (on Ukraine) have been devastating, and the poorest countries on Earth are bearing the brunt. He said President Biden will call for a just and durable peace founded on international law, the principles of the UN Charter, territorial integrity and respect for sovereignty, as he has done in the past.
Sullivan said Biden will continue to insist that the United States adhere to these principles and support Ukraine as long as it is needed. “Last but not least, the United States will make clear that we are committed to the G20, which is an important forum for all the world’s major economies to come together to address global issues,” he told reporters.