Chinese President Xi Jinping May Skip G20 Summit in India

There are reports suggesting that Chinese President Xi Jinping is considering not attending the upcoming G20 leaders’ summit in India. According to sources in both India and China, Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the meeting scheduled for September 9-10 in New Delhi. The Indian and Chinese foreign ministries have not commented on these reports.

Other Engagements for Premier Li Qiang

In addition to the G20 summit, Premier Li is also likely to attend a summit of East and Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, from September 5 to 7. This information comes from a report by Kyodo news agency.

Possible Meeting with US President Joe Biden

The G20 summit in India was seen as a potential opportunity for President Xi Jinping to meet with US President Joe Biden. However, with Xi’s potential absence, the meeting between the leaders of the two superpowers may not take place. The last time Xi and Biden met was on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November last year.

Non-attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already announced that he will not be traveling to New Delhi for the G20 summit. Instead, he will be sending Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as his representative.

Reasons Behind Xi’s Expected Absence

While it is unclear why President Xi Jinping may not attend the summit, sources in China suggest that he is unlikely to travel to India for the event. These sources, including two foreign diplomats and a government official from another G20 country, have been informed by Chinese officials but do not know the specific reason for Xi’s potential absence. All sources have chosen to remain anonymous due to the lack of authorization to speak to the media.

Anticipation of Future Meetings

The anticipation of a meeting between Xi and Biden has prompted several high-ranking US officials to visit Beijing in recent months. This includes a recent trip by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Another highly anticipated summit for face-to-face talks between the two leaders is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting scheduled for November 12-18 in San Francisco.

Xi’s Limited Foreign Trips

President Xi, who secured a third term as leader last October, has made few trips abroad since China eased strict border controls implemented due to the pandemic. However, he did attend a meeting of leaders from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in South Africa last week.

Tense Pre-Summit Ministerial Meetings

Several G20 ministerial meetings held in India before the summit were contentious. Russia and China jointly opposed joint statements that included clauses condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

Conversation Between Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a rare conversation on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in Johannesburg. They discussed easing tensions in bilateral ties that soured after clashes along their Himalayan border in 2020 resulted in the death of 24 soldiers.