RIO DE JANEIRO — President Biden was honored Tuesday by being placed front and center in a group photo of G20 leaders in Brazil — after his week-long tour of South America dominated coverage of his status, or lack thereof, in two earlier pictures. doing.
Biden, 81, stood between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – the US’s venue and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s venue, equidistant from his host Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Retired leader of world’s most powerful country benefits from negative press coverage after becoming president located in the back corner The APEC summit group was shot in Lima, Peru on Saturday – as Xi took the place of honor front and center before Biden The G20 group missed a shot monday.
The White House attributed the suspicious slight at the APEC gathering of Pacific Rim nations to the fact that leaders were supposed to stand alphabetically – two other countries were blamed for making “protocol errors” by being out of order. .
In contrast, then-President Donald Trump stood in the center of two group photos at APEC’s 2017 summit in Vietnam, the only forum he attended during his first term.
Biden on Monday missed the inaugural G20 group photo featuring the chief executive officers of the world’s top economies — in that instance the White House blamed “logistical issues” as reporters watched the president join hands with other dignitaries. And after smiling, saw me walking nearby.
That group photo featured Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who Biden was believed to be reluctant to pose with because of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, both vocal supporters of Kyiv, also missed the photo.
Biden’s visit received much of the coverage from photographs of the group and headlines about the symbols they expressed, as he chose not to include any press questions and made little news other than the financial pledges, which were President-elect Trump may cancel after taking office in two. Month.
Biden, who turns 82 on Wednesday, has not spoken publicly on the trip about Trump’s return to power or his decision, first reported on Sunday, to have the U.S. invade Ukraine inside Russia. Permission was given to use the supplied missiles.
A major theme of the trip was the competing influence of the US and China in Latin America – with the Chinese receiving a more extended state welcome in Peru thanks to a $1.3 billion investment in a new port in the country.
A separate $3.5 billion rail project aims to link the port to the Brazilian market.
Meanwhile, Biden on Monday pledged $4 billion to the World Bank’s International Development Association. At earlier stops, he announced a test-rocket deal with Peru and pledged $50 million in additional funding to fund Brazil’s Amazon.
While in Peru, Biden complicated the optical issues by meeting Xi at the Chinese leader’s hotel for the meeting, with the White House turning away that honor by saying the pair alternated for their three summits. Has hosted.
The US leader left Lima as spectators waved Chinese flags at his motorcade on the way to the airport.
(TagstoTranslate)Politics(T)US News(T)Joe Biden
