G-20 failed to reach consensus on Covid-19 due to US-China rivalry

New Delhi: The G-20 health agenda aimed at addressing the Covid crisis worldwide appears to have been caught between US and China rivalry over the WHO response to the pandemic, notwithstanding the efforts by G-20 chair Saudi Arabia to drive a consensus as well as India, which favours WHO reforms at a later stage.

ET has learnt that G-20 health ministers meet a few weeks back failed to adopt a joint communique despite preparing a draft due to differences between Washington and Beijing.

The US had strong reservations against G-20 health ministers’ joint communique even as the meet committed to strengthening the WHO’s mandate in coordinating a response to the pandemic, it has been learnt.


The US has now sought to expand G-7 to G-10/G-11 to include India, Russia, Australia and South Korea. A press statement instead of a joint communique issued after the meet noted that the health ministers recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted systemic weaknesses in health systems.

“It also has shown vulnerabilities in the global community’s ability to prevent and respond to pandemic threats,” the press statement said. Ministers addressed the need to improve the effectiveness of global health systems by sharing knowledge and closing the gap in response capabilities and readiness.

Ministers echoed G-20 leaders’ concern regarding the risks posed by the pandemic to developing and least developed countries, where health systems and economies may be less able to cope with the challenge.”

There was no mention of WHO in this press statement. The failure to agree on a joint communique will prove that the pandemic has become a platform for disagreement between the US and China and other nations are finding it difficult to take sides.

India favours WHO reforms to be initiated once the current pandemic is addressed.