Xi Jinping likely to miss G20 Summit in Delhi: Report
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip the G20 Summit in Delhi, with Premier Li Qiang set to represent the country instead. This development comes after Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an "in-depth" conversation at the recent BRICS Summit, during which PM Modi "highlighted India's concerns on the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)." Notably, India-China relations have been strained since 2020, when their forces clashed on the LAC in the Galwan Valley.
Why does this story matter?
The report also follows the release of the 2023 edition of the "standard map" by China, which wrongly showed parts of India as Chinese territories, complicating the resolution of the boundary question. The G20 Summit is set to take place from September 9-10 at the new Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, Delhi. The summit is also expected to be one of the largest gatherings of world leaders, where key issues like climate change, global economics, and development will be discussed.
Details on Chinese president's absence from G20 Summit
According to the news agency Reuters, a senior official within the Indian government revealed that they "are aware" that Qiang will be coming instead of Jinping for next month's summit. Meanwhile, two foreign diplomats and an official from another G20 nation also claimed that the Chinese president wouldn't be attending the summit. However, the reason behind Jinping's alleged absence is still unknown.
Conflicting statements after Modi, Jinping on LAC disengagement
It is also worth noting that India and China issued conflicting statements after Modi and Jinping's meeting on LAC disengagement at the BRICS Summit in South Africa last week. While India allegedly claimed that both leaders agreed to concentrate on "expeditious disengagement and de-escalation" of troops, China didn't mention any agreed-upon outcome on a pullback, reported the news outlet The Indian Express.
Putin also set to miss G20 Summit
Besides Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also informed about his inability to attend the G20 Summit in India and conveyed that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would represent Russia. Other world leaders attending next month's summit include United States (US) President Joe Biden, United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.
