'Sherpas' carry the weight of expectations for summit

1 This is the third Sherpa meeting. What are your thoughts on the past several rounds of discussions? What are the major achievements during the meetings?

2 What outcomes do you expect to see from the upcoming G20 summit, and why?

3 How do you view China's preparations for the summit?

4 A Sherpa meeting in April released a statement about climate change. How can the world better deal with the specter of climate change?

5 Apart from climate change, what are the main challenges facing the world in the near future?

Arvind Panagariya, an Indian Sherpa who is vice-chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India

1 A number of issues have been discussed and many have been resolved. The Chinese presidency brought in a new growth agenda, emphasizing the issues of innovation, the digital economy and new industrialization. We prepared about 90 percent of the agreements that will be included in the final communique, but more still has to be done. We also discussed issues such as anti-corruption and sustainable development.

2 We now have a new set of initiatives. We will have growth under the umbrella of innovation, digitalization and the new industrial revolution. There will be guidelines on investment and investment policies. We will perhaps try to carry forward the Paris Agreement, and we will also bring in some of the issues concerning anti-corruption and anti-terrorism.

3 China has done a fantastic job in both the content and logistics. The G20 is very well organized and presided over. India will host the G20 in 2019 - China has set the bar very high, but we hope to match it.

4 We have to work on various fronts. India has to focus on adaptation. I wanted to bring conservation onto the G20 agenda at this meeting. In New York, the buildings are lit up at night and the air conditioning is on even if there is nobody in the building. We have to bring these issues onto the agenda and pay more attention to energy conservation.

5 There will be ongoing challenges. The UK has voted to exit the EU, but the big challenge remains; slow global growth after the 2008 global financial crisis. We should not underestimate China's contribution.

Leeni Augusto Montiel Medina, assistant secretary-general at the UN department of economic and social affairs and a UN Sherpa

1 This is the third Sherpa meeting. It is about discussing the progress made by the G20 working groups. From the level of the discussions, we are seeing that progress has been immense. All the working groups have produced the expected documentation. There is still work to be done, but it's more about procession, tuning up what has been done. Unofficially, I can say the G20 leaders will see a very important package of policy documents for them to endorse.

2 There are many but I'll just highlight two. One is the Blueprint for Growth Innovation, which is the core of the G20 debate. The world is not in good shape, and we need to work on innovation. The Chinese presidency has promoted innovation, the digital economy and the new industrial revolution to ensure sustainable growth. The second point is aligning the G20 agenda to the 2030 agenda, and the leaders of the G20 will be presented with an action plan. Those two documents will be of great significance.

3 Everything is working very well. From the moment you arrive, you see the level of preparation and all the logistical arrangements. The hospitality of the Chinese people is fantastic. The technical support provided has been immense. Of course, the different G20 working groups come with experts, and several international organizations, such as the UN, are also involved.

4 The most important thing is the ratification of the Paris Agreement, so before anything happens, we all need to ensure that all countries not only sign, but also ratify, their agreements. That's the key challenge.

5 Apart from climate change, the global economic situation is a challenge.

Svetlana Lukash, G20 Sherpa, deputy head of the presidential experts' directorate Russia

1 This is the last (Sherpa) meeting before the Hangzhou Summit, and we have agreed about the major outcomes of Hangzhou. Everyone supports the Chinese presidency's priorities and seeks to add value in the priorities for innovative growth, especially the issues of the digital economy, the new industrial revolution and innovative growth which have never been on the G20 agenda.

2 It is a leaders' meeting, and the major outcome is when our leaders meet and discuss issues. We are preparing a major outcome document called the Blueprint for Innovative Growth which sets the future path for G20 work on issues such as the implementation of structural reforms, the principles of the new industrial revolution and working in the digital economy.

3 We have admired the organization and substantial preparations. Everything is very clear, very concise and streamlined. Maybe it's the legacy of previous presidencies, because each new presidency learns from the experience of the previous one. Nevertheless, China's preparations have been perfect.

4 It is a very important year for climate change issues because we need to start implementing the Paris Agreement. Indeed, all G20 countries are looking forward to adding some value to the UN framework and contributing to bringing the Paris Agreement into force and implementing it.

5 Last year, all countries adopted the development agenda, which we must achieve by 2030. The Chinese presidency proposed development work on the action plan to support the UN framework on sustainable development goals, which will be a major outcome at Hangzhou. Everyone supports the work that has been done by the presidency.

Anil Sooklal, deputy director general, department of international relations and cooperation, South Africa

1 We congratulate China on the presidency and the issues it put on the table. They are critical issues - looking at global growth, and how the G20 can stimulate growth and address fiscal challenges. From an African standpoint we are extremely grateful to China, because the G20 has put Africa-specific issues on the table for the first time. In terms of industrialization, the support the G20 can give Africa and less-developed countries is a very important dimension of its work.

2 China put several initiatives on the table. The Blueprint for Innovative Growth is highly appropriate. The G20 is not just about the G20 - it's also about the good of the global community, and how we can collectively look at new opportunities in the digital economy. The Blueprint for Innovative Growth looks at partnerships in the digital economy and the new industrial revolution provides tremendous opportunities. Even countries that lag behind in terms of industrialization can use technology to live, although they will need help.

3 China has done very well. It has put very pertinent issues on the table. That is very inclusive and not just about China; it's also about the G20 and the global community. China's presidency has been mindful of the spirit of transparency, inclusiveness and partnership.

4 The implementation of the Paris Agreement. I think the G20 can play an important role in ensuring implementation. Likewise, the other important dimension of China's G20 presidency is the collective action plan for the implementation of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.

5 The implementation of decisions about climate change, the implementation of the 2030 UN sustainable development goals program, and leveraging opportunities for development based on innovative growth. The digital economy provides tremendous opportunities, and the G20 can provide leadership. China put it on the agenda, to take the process forward, and there is a consensus.

(China Daily 06/27/2016 page6)