G20 Summit: Speeddating with Trump | World | '
Chancellor Angela Merkel knows that she is under surveillance after her renewed dithering attack in Berlin on Thursday. Meanwhile, the international media and other participants in the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, are also interested in the health of the Chancellor.
It completes the full program of the first summit day with two working sessions, several bilateral meetings, cultural program and dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In between, Angela Merkel briefly shows the press, makes a short statement on the lectern. Questions are not allowed.
It works as usual, no trembling, no visible tension. "It has been a busy day so far," she says with a smile. "And he is not over yet." From her environment it is said again and again, she is healthy. The second tremor was a mental reaction to the memory of the first stronger tremor last week, a kind of anxiety disorder, a reaction to stress?
Trump flatters and threatens
At seven in the morning, the Chancellor had landed in Osaka after eleven hours of flight. The first difficult meeting was soon after: Bilateral meeting with the leaky US President Donald Trump. The Federal Chancellor patiently endures Trump's superlatives with the fantastic woman, the good friend she portrays for him.
However, the day before, Trump had once again called for more defense spending in Germany via an interview and criticized the natural gas pipeline from Russia, Nordstream2. In direct talks in Japan, the president does not address these perennial favorites, but talks about the election campaign in the US and his trade dispute with China.
Diplomatic showcases: Trump and the "fantastic woman" Merkel
Angela Merkel emphasizes in this exchange of feelings how important open markets and free trade are. The situation in Libya and in the Sahel zone will be touched on for a moment. The tensions with Iran are an issue. Donald Trump assures that he is in no hurry. So maybe a bargaining solution that will make sure that Iran continues to respect the nuclear agreement? Of military options, the US President does not speak.
Trade dispute between USA and China unresolved
Later that day, the Chancellor also meets the largest US counterpart in the dispute, Chinese President Xi Jinping. He accuses the United States of illegally tarnishing China. On the second summit day, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping want to meet for a formal summit meeting.
"A great deal is possible, they want it," the US president said earlier. "If not, I'm also satisfied with the current situation." Trump threatens the Chinese with further tariffs on goods worth 300 billion dollars. At the moment, there are no signs that either side is giving in.
Elongated debates in the plenary session: The state leaders meet at the door to dialogues
The first summit day of the group of the 20 most important industrial and emerging countries has a little in common with speed dating. While the Plenary Chamber is debating rules for trade, a reform of the World Trade Organization, better data sharing and sustainable investment, there are plenty of bilateral talks in smaller adjoining rooms.
Among other things, US President Trump met Presidents Vladimir Putin from Russia and Jair Bolsonaro from Brazil. At the meeting, Putin invited Trump to Russia next May to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. Trump reacted "very positively," said Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Trump promised "great deals" to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but also threatened with new punitive tariffs. The EU states met with each other, with Canada and with South American states, with which the latest trade agreement is being negotiated.
No draft for a final declaration yet
The "Sherpas", the negotiators of the Heads of State and Government, negotiate the G20's annual summit statement throughout the night. According to diplomats, the topics of trade, climate protection and migration are particularly controversial.
In search of allies against Trump: China's ruler Xi Jinping (left) speaks with Shinzo Abe (Japan)
In trade, the US wants as little concrete rules as possible and no commitment to international organizations. A reform of the perceived as dysfunctional World Trade Organization (WTO) is seen in Washington critical.
Online trading should be regulated
There are similarities in the regulation of online commerce. According to Chancellor Angela Merkel, the G20 have become known in the digital economy for regulated trade via the Internet. "So that's an important signal that we need international regulations in digitalisation," said Merkel. The G20 countries did not adopt the declaration in a working session, but in a special format within the framework of the summit. The commitment should be implemented in their view on the World Trade Organization WTO, Merkel said.
In the discussion on digitization, she had made it clear that regulation is always behind developments. The Chancellor emphasized that the G20 finance ministers had taken important steps in the taxation of the digital economy in this context. In the digital economy, the G20 want to say in the words of Merkel for a digital data traffic that you can trust. It is about a similar scheme, as they exist in Europe in the context of the General Data Protection Regulation.
In the fight against global warming, the US adopted two years ago. Now other states, such as Saudi Arabia, Australia or Brazil, could turn their backs on American pressure and no longer expressly support the UN's Paris Climate Agreement.
Crack point climate
If that happens, France does not want to sign the entire summit document, announced French President Emmanuel Macron. The European Union is probably closed on the side of the French. Any positive statement on the migration or treatment of migrants rejects the US in the draft Summit Declaration, diplomatic sources say. However, Mexico, Spain, Italy and Germany are pushing for at least not lowering the standard of the previous G20 statements on migration.
Host Shinzo Abe summoned all summit participants to compromise. "We should look for similarities, instead of highlighting differences", so the appeal of the Japanese Prime Minister. At night, the Sherpas will continue to negotiate. "It has never been as difficult as this year," says one of the participating diplomats, who has already participated in a G20 summit.
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