A report from the Economic Times (ET) said that China has opposed the inclusion of the phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The whole world is one family) in several G20 documents.
ET reported that China opposed the phrase’s inclusion in the G20 Energy Transitions Ministers’ Meeting Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary, adopted on 22 July in Goa.
The Report
The ET report mentions that China opposed the inclusion of the phrase on the grounds that it is in Sanskrit, which is not one of the six official languages recognised by the UN. The six languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
While China opposed India, most participant nations in the G20 meetings reportedly favoured India on the matter.
To this end, some countries observed that it is the prerogative of the Presidency and the host nation to decide the theme.
The information was confirmed with ET by officials in the G20 Secretariat, who said China was “opposed to welcoming or endorsing this as a concept.”
While China argued against the usage, most participating nations sided with India as deciding the theme of the G20 events remains the prerogative of the presidency and host nationhttps://t.co/LGCizTITR5
— WION (@WIONews) August 8, 2023
However, notably, China does not object to mentioning the concept in context.
The phrase has been dropped from the final G20 document mentioned earlier due to the opposition. It now carries just an English translation of the concept Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’
The document reads, “We, the G20 Energy Ministers, met under India’s G20 Presidency, with the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ in Goa, India, on 22 July 2023.”
However, the Sanskrit phrase is retained in the logo and letterhead of each document.
A similar trend has been noticed for most outcome documents, including those in the meetings of finance ministers, education ministers, tourism, environment, and labour and employment.
The only document with an exception is the Foreign Minister’s Document, which includes the Sanskrit phrase.
The Theme
Indian PM Narendra Modi unveiled the G20 theme in November 2022 via video conferencing.
The G20 theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is a Sanskrit maxim from a verse in the ancient Sanskrit text Maha Upanishad.
The adage is considered one of the most profound spiritual and philosophical thoughts in the Indian tradition.
The G20 website mentions that the theme affirms the value of all life — human, animal, plant, and microorganisms — and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
India’s G20 Presidency
India is holding the Presidency for G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023. Under its Presidency, India has organised 170 meetings in 55 different locations in the country.
A number of meetings at the ministerial level are scheduled to be held in July and August 2023. Ultimately, the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on 9-10 September.
Additionally, the summit is expected to see the participation of the G20 leaders like US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, among others.
Apart from heads of states of the 19 member countries, leaders of India’s guest countries Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE will also participate in the meeting.