G20 Brisbane 2014: What the world thought of the global summit Talk about awkward ... Australia has been described as an "adolescent country" in the wake of the G20 in Brisbane. Picture: Andrew Taylor / AP Source: Supplied WHETHER you thought it was a massive waste of money or amazing chance to see the world's leaders up close and personal, there's no doubt the G20 summit in Brisbane made headlines in Australia. With stories on everything from the koala training to massive surveillance operation and closing remarks, the every move of the leaders of the world's biggest nations was well documented. But what about the countries they come from and the leaders themselves? Here's just some of what the world is saying about the G20 Summit in Brisbane. French President Francois Hollande, U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in talks at the G20. They were all too polite to say in public what some international media have said about us. Ouch. Some of the most painful jibes about the conference came from the LA Times" Robyn Dixon who described Australia as "an adolescent country. The bit player. The shrimp of the schoolyard. For Australians it's not so bad - most of the time - to be so far away, so overlooked, so seemingly insignificant as to almost never factor in major international news. The lifestyle makes up for it," she wrote. But occasionally, there's an awkward, pimply youth moment so embarrassing that it does sting. Like when 19 of the world's most important leaders visit for a global summit and Prime Minister Tony Abbott opens their retreat Saturday with a whinge (Aussie for whine) about his doomed efforts to get his fellow Australians to pay $7 to see a doctor. And then he throws in a boast that his government repealed the country's carbon tax, standing out among Western nations as the one willing to reverse progress on global warming - just days after the United States and China reached a landmark climate change deal. There might not have been official talks about climate change, but the local weather was certainly a "hot" topic, with security at the event feeling it. Picture: Greg Wood / AFP Source: AFP Dixon said Australia squandered its chance to be a global player by reverting to parochial politics that left the country cringing. It's a sentiment echoed here by Labor leader Bill Shorten who also bemoaned Abbott's decision to use his opening address to complain about local issues as being weird and graceless. In the New York Times the summit barely rated a mention, with the strongest coverage dedicated to the conflict between Obama and Putin. The article covered closing remarks from President Obama where he said sanctions against Russia were "biting plenty good" and the Russian leader got a "chilly reception" from Australian and Canadian leaders. The Washington Post wrote about how protesters were told to leave their reptiles at home, although many seemed to have made it into the centre as official guests. They also covered the main goals and "crushing heatwave" saying: "Some of the sweat-stained police officers blanketing the city by the thousands have taken to dumping bottles of water on themselves to cope with the blazing sun." Fox news described Tony Abbott as "an athletic 56-year-old former amateur boxer" and said Russia arrived at the summit with warships. They also covered the main outcomes, while Vox reported on the most creative protests in pictures. Barack Obama doesn't seem to be in on the joke between Tony Abbott, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Picture: Ian Waldie / Getty Images Source: Getty Images The BBC couldn't resist Koala diplomacy at the summit and the major outcomes but chief business correspondent Linda Yueh also said little was delivered in the way of quantifiable targets for nations. "If it takes until November in 2015 at the G20 in Turkey to see specific policies to address the jobless recovery that has been with us for more than six years, taxpayers may begin to baulk at paying for these big summits that promise much but tend to deliver somewhat less," she wrote. The Sun called it the "Selfie Summit" after Merkel was spotted at the pub, while the Independent covered David Cameron's decision to back the Green Climate Fund and suggested his "bromance" with Tony Abbott may have led Abbott to backflip on putting climate change in the official communiqué. British Prime Minister David Cameron plays with the mic before speaking at the G20. Picture: Glenn Hunt / Getty Source: Getty Images It also said scorching temperatures in Brisbane "particularly boiled security and police officers" with residents complaining about being trapped in hot sun while streets are blocked for motorcades. "Just outside the conference centre, the Independent heard two security guards chant to their mutual amusement: "What to do we want? Airconditioning. The Times of India said security and climate change overshadowed the summit despite Australia's attempts to keep climate change off the global agenda. The paper also quoted an EU official as saying it made for the most difficult discussion saying: "This was really trench warfare, this was really step by step by step. In the end we have references to most of the things we wanted. Russian news site Pravda described Putin's early departure as "friendly and businesslike" based on a long flight and the need to get some sleep, while another piece by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey slammed those who want to portray a "hackneyed West versus East approach" to global politics. Can't wait to get out of here ... Russian President Vladimir Putin departs Brisbane after the G20 yesterday. Picture: Steve Holland / Getty Source: Getty Images "Predictably, David Cameron has used Brisbane as a stage to launch a set of snide remarks about Russia, just as the host, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, did recently with puerile remarks about wishing to "shirt-front" Russian President Vladimir Putin over the MH17 air disaster over Ukraine," he wrote. In fact the entire Western leadership has adopted a hypocritical, dishonest and groundless campaign against Russia, its partner in two world wars, over a question which was prepared, cooked and served in the west: Ukraine. Why doesn't Abbott confront the Ukrainian President, Poroshenko? Why doesn't he ask why the Ukrainians do not reveal the content of the ATC tapes seized by the authorities, why doesn't he ask the Ukrainian President about the alleged sighting of fighter jets trailing flight MH 17?" he said. News agency Tass quoted President Putin as saying prior to the event the fact that member nations hold sanctions against one another "runs counter to the very principle of G20 activities." Hoping that everything that may be said there will be implemented is absolutely unrealistic, especially if one remembers that the decisions themselves are not mandatory. To an extent they are neglected. They are defaulted on then and there, when and where they are in conflict with somebody's interests," he said. Chinese news agency Xinhua said President Xi's speech was "lauded" by those at the summit, with negotiations now underway for a free trade deal with Australia. It also quoted China's vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao as saying the two countries are complementary in terms of their economy and "cooperation between the two nations has played a significant supporting role to the economic development of both." Chinese supporters lined Brisbane streets for a chance to see their President Xi Jinping. Picture: Chris McCormack. Canada's Globe and Mail focused on Stephen Harper's words to President Putin where he said he would shake his hand but the Russian leader really needed to "get out of Ukraine." The paper also reported that Abbott sounded "exasperated" with his attempts to drive the agenda back towards economic growth. Originally published as What the world really thinks of Australia