G20 Summit 2018: All the latest updates

Nineteen leaders of the world’s biggest economies and a representative of the European Union are set to meet on Friday and Saturday in Buenos Aries, Argentina as part of the G20 summit. 

This year, all eyes will be on a range of issues including a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the potential signing of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman‘s appearance at the summit is expected to be met with protests over the murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi. 

Other demonstrations are also expected in the lead-up to the annual meeting. 

Here are all the latest updates: 

Wednesday, November 28

Saudi crown prince arrives in Argentina

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman landed in Buenos Aires for the ahead of the G20 leaders summit, according to Argentine TV news.

His arrival comes amid international furor over the murder of Khashoggi and a request by Human Rights Watch that Argentina investigate him for war crimes in Yemen.

AP Analysis: Will Saudi crown prince be a pariah at G20?

All eyes will be on Prince Mohammed later this week as he heads to Buenos Aires for the Group of 20 summit.

At issue is the killing of Khashoggi and allegations that the crown prince ordered his killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last month. There will be leaders who won’t want to get caught in a grip-and-grin situation with the Saudi prince.

It’s a photo opportunity that could cause serious ripples, even disgust, and have concrete repercussions at home by appearing to exonerate or legitimise the man US intelligence agencies concluded ordered the killing.

That won’t be a problem for US President Donald Trump, who drew bipartisan ire in the US Congress for effectively giving the prince a free pass in the name of “America First”, based on the president’s vastly exaggerated claims of Saudi military contracts and investments in the US.

It may well be that Trump will go out of his way to embrace the de facto Saudi leader as others scurry away, treating him as a pariah.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has kept international pressure mounting on Saudi Arabia, is also expected to attend. The crown prince has requested a meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit, according to Ankara.

MBS leaves Tunisia to Argentina to attend G20: report

Reuters news agency is reporting that Prince Mohammad left Tunisia for Argentina to attend the G20 summit, where all eyes will be on world leaders’ reaction to the man accused of ordering Khashoggi’s murder.

The prince left Tunisia early on Wednesday, Reuters quoted Al-Arabiya’s website as saying.

The crown prince’s G20 attendance is a bold effort to force the issue of whether world leaders will work with Saudi Arabia, analysts say. Riyadh is also indicating with his appearance in Buenos Aires that Prince Mohammed is back in the saddle and the worst of the controversy is over.

Human Rights Watch requested that Argentine authorities arrest the crown prince and that he be tried by a court for war crimes in Yemen and Khashoggi’s killing.

Tuesday, November 27 

Trump: I may cancel Putin meeting at G20 over Ukraine conflict

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he may cancel his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina because of Russia’s maritime clash with Ukraine.

“Maybe I won’t have the meeting. Maybe I won’t even have the meeting … I don’t like that aggression. I don’t want that aggression at all,” Trump told the Washington Post in an interview.

White House adviser says China-US trade deal still possible

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Tuesday that Trump will have a dinner meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 gathering in Argentina and also held open the possibility that the two countries would reach a trade deal.

“There is a good possibility that we can make a deal and he is open to it,” Kudlow, the National Economic Council director, told a press briefing, referring to Trump.

No plans for Trump-MBS meet at G20: Bolton 

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Donald Trump had no plans to meet Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed at this week’s G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that while no meetings are planned, she could not rule out any interaction between Trump and Prince Salman. 

Trump will meet leaders of Russia, Japan, Germany, Argentina at G20

President Trump will have bilateral meetings with the leaders of Argentina, Russia, Japan and Germany when he and the American delegation go to Argentina for the Group of 20 summit later this week, a White House spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Trump is also expected to meet separately with China’s Xi Jinping for the first time since the world’s two largest economies imposed tariffs on each other’s imports.

No plans for a Trump-May meeting at G20

British Prime Minister Theresa May has no specific plans for a bilateral meeting with Trump at the G20 meeting later this week, her spokesman said on Tuesday.

On Monday, Trump stoked concerns among some of May’s legislators about her Brexit deal by saying he thought it was good for the EU and may make trade between Washington and London more difficult.

May’s office disputed that, saying it would allow Britain to sign trade deals with countries throughout the world.

Monday, November 26

Trump says he expects to raise China tariffs: WSJ

Trump said on Monday he expects to move ahead with raising tariffs on $200bnin Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent currently.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said it was “highly unlikely” he would accept China’s request to hold off on the increase.

Trump, who is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires this week, said if negotiations are unsuccessful he would also put tariffs on the rest of Chinese imports.

Questions swirl over Saudi crown prince’s G20 meeting in Argentina

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed arrived in Egypt on Monday, the third leg of his first trip abroad since the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month.

Prince Mohammed is expected to travel to Tunisia after his two-day visit to Egypt before heading for a G20 meeting in Buenos Aires.

Last week, Nader Hashemi, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, said all eyes will be on MBS as world leaders gather for the G20 meeting from November 30 to December 1 in Argentina

Hashemi noted the Argentina trip puts Prince Mohammed in possible legal jeopardy under the policy of universal jurisdiction under international law.

“If there is a case brought against the Saudi crown prince for war crimes or murder by another court that is considered to be credible then an indictment can be issued against him when he arrives in Buenos Aires. So, I suspect this is something his lawyers and advisors are looking into,” Hashemi told Al Jazeera.