Clash between liberal and authoritarian values at G20 summit

Donald Trump looks to shake hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman as world leaders gather at the G20 summit in Osaka. Photo / AP

World leaders attending a Group of 20 summit in Japan are clashing over the values that have served for decades as the foundation of their co-operation.

European Union President Donald Tusk yesterday blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for suggesting in an interview with the Financial Times that liberalism was "obsolete". In a statement to reporters, Tusk said, "We are here as Europeans also to firmly and unequivocally defend and promote liberal democracy."

He said, "What I find really obsolete are: authoritarianism, personality cults, the rule of oligarchs. Even if sometimes they may seem effective."

As United States President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin and other leaders met on the sidelines of the summit, Tusk told reporters such comments suggest a belief that "freedoms are obsolete, that the rule of law is obsolete and that human rights are obsolete".

Putin told the Financial Times that: "The liberal idea has become obsolete. It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population."

He praised Trump for his efforts to try to stop the flow of migrants and drugs from Mexico and said that liberalism "presupposes that nothing needs to be done. That migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected".

The G20 leaders are meeting at a time of profound tensions over trade, globalisation and Iran's collapsing nuclear deal.

While prospects for detente in the trade war between the US and China are in the spotlight, many participating are calling for a broader perspective in tackling global crises.

Trump's meeting with the Chinese President today as the G20 meetings conclude has raised hopes for a detente in the tariffs war between the world's two largest economies.

But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing said China intends to defend itself against further US moves to penalise it over trade friction.

China often has sought to gain support for defending global trade agreements against Trump's "America First" stance in gatherings such as the G20.

Threats by Trump to impose more tariffs on Chinese exports "won't work on us because the Chinese people don't believe in heresy and are not afraid of pressure", Geng Shuang said.

Trump has at times found himself at odds with other leaders in such international events, particularly on issues such as Iran, climate change and trade.

Abe has sought to make the Osaka summit a landmark for progress on environmental issues, including climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron reinforced that message on Wednesday during a state visit to Tokyo, where he described climate change as a "red line" issue for endorsing a G20 communique.

On the rising tensions between Iran and the US, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world can't afford the conflict and it was "essential to de-escalate the situation" and avoid confrontation.

Guterres also urged G20 leaders to take action on equitable and stable reforms to strengthen the global financial safety net and increase the global economy's resilience.

- AP