India took on the role after a difficult meeting hosted by Indonesia in Bali in mid-November 2022.
Indonesia managed to broker agreement on a joint declaration, but only just – and disagreement about the wording on Ukraine resurfaced soon afterwards.
It is clear that New Delhi also calculated that despite the challenging circumstances, there were potential diplomatic gains to be had in chairing the G20.
In parallel, India tabled a proposal to add the African Union to the forum, which was endorsed at the summit.
Strategic competition between China and India has intensified since Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012.
India’s marginalisation of China at the G20 follows on from these efforts to curtail Beijing’s influence.
Some interpret Xi’s refusal to attend the G20 summit as a tacit acknowledgement that the forum no longer serves China’s interests. »
