May at G20
Water cannons used as summit hit by protests
Solutions can only be found if we are ready to compromise. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s message for the G20 leaders in Hamburg
THERESA MAY is to urge China to stop flooding the market with cheap steel in talks with its president at the G20.
The UK’s steel industry has been devastated by a wave of cheap Chinese exports.
The Prime Minister is expected to say “increased action” is needed to reduce overcapacity when she meets President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the two-day summit in Hamburg, a senior Number 10 official said.
Mrs May will also repeat her call for China to do more to stop North Korea’s missile testing programme.
Beijing is facing widespread international pressure to use its influence over its ally following the latest launch.
Protesters set fire to cars and tried to block delegations from entering the summit as part of a wave of anti-capitalist demonstrations.
More than 100 police were injured in clashes on Thursday evening and water cannons have been used to control the activists.
Mrs May led demands yesterday morning for an international effort to tackle terror funding as G20 leaders gathered for the first session of the summit.
Action must be taken to choke off the funding for terrorists that is being funnelled through international financial institutions, she said.
The premier was given a prime spot at the table as leaders gathered for a working lunch, seated near host German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and next to Donald Trump.
Mrs May will meet the US president for talks this morning, where she will raise concerns over his decision to pull America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The PM said she hopes President Trump will take America back into the international climate deal.
“I will be making that message,” she told ITV News.
“I will continue to give the message that the United Kingdom believes in the importance of the Paris Agreement.”
She will meet Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss counter-terrorism this afternoon.
Mrs May is being accompanied by husband Philip making his first official overseas visit. He is joining other spouses for a separate programme of events, which includes a river boat trip through the port city. He joined the Prime Minister for a concert at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall last night, where Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 was played, which includes the melody Ode to Joy which is used for the EU’s anthem.
As well as tackling terrorism, Mrs May has three other key priorities for the summit.
She will push for action to create “orderly” migration by ensuring refugees claim protection in the first safe country they reach, improving distinction between economic migrants and refugees and the right of all countries to control their borders.
She also wants G20 countries to work together to meet UN targets to wipe out modern slavery by 2030.
Amid fears of growing protectionism following President Trump’s America First policy, the Prime Minister will also call for a continued commitment to free trade and greater corporate responsibility.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told G20 leaders that millions of people are hoping they can help solve the world’s problems.
Mrs Merkel said she is sure every leader in Hamburg will try to achieve “good results”.
She added: “Solutions can only be found if we are ready to compromise.”