G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting: Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang will be attending the G20 foreign ministers’ meet on March 2 in Delhi, India, reported Reuters citing a regular news briefing of China’s foreign ministry.
“The G20 should focus on prominent challenges in the global economy. China stands ready to work with all parties to ensure the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting sends a positive signal on multilateralism,” Reuters quoted the spokesperson Mao Ning as saying.
In another development, Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will not be attending the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet taking place in India from Wednesday and would instead prioritise parliamentary business, as per a report by the Japan Times quoting a government official as saying.
A deputy minister is likely to be dispatched in his place, the report added.
Although it is not clear whether the minister will attend a Friday meeting of the Quad, the official said.
The development comes at a time when Kishida government is making efforts to bolster ties with India amid increasing concerns over China’s assertive behaviour in the region, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It’s a regrettable decision that means forfeiting a chance to emphasize the importance of the rule of law to the developing countries that take part in G20,” Goshi Hosono, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said on Twitter.
Hosono, who previously belonged to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, added that such decisions to prioritise parliament over diplomacy were often made to please the ruling parties. Hayashi had already arranged bilateral discussions with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, Kyodo News reported.
The G20 Foreign Ministers meeting is scheduled to take place on March 1-2 in the national capital, Delhi.