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China says Russia is 'important' G20 member, cannot be expelled by others
"The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. "Russia is an important member, and no member has the right to expel another country."
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin takes a question at the Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing on November 9, 2020. (AFP/Greg Baker)
Beijing on Wednesday described Russia as an "important member" of the G20 after Washington raised the prospect of excluding Moscow from the group following its invasion of Ukraine.
"The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. "Russia is an important member, and no member has the right to expel another country."
The United States and its Western allies are assessing whether Russia should remain within the Group of Twenty major economies following its invasion of Ukraine, sources involved in the discussions told Reuters.
But any bid to exclude Russia would likely be vetoed by others in the group, raising the prospect of some countries instead skipping G20 meetings, the sources said.
Russia's ambassador to Indonesia said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a G20 summit in Bali later this year, dismissing suggestions by some G20 members that Russia could be barred from the group.
Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, which currently holds the rotating G20 chair, said Putin intended to travel to Indonesia for the G20 summit in November.
"It will depend on many, many things, including the COVID situation, that is getting better. So far, his intention is ... he wants to," ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.
Asked about suggestions Russia could be excluded from the G20, she said it was a forum to discuss economic issues and not a crisis like Ukraine.
"Of course expulsion of Russia from this kind of forum will not help these economic problems to be resolved. On the contrary, without Russia it would be difficult to do so."
Indonesia's foreign ministry declined to comment on calls for Russia to be excluded from the G20.
