China confirms Xi Jinping will not attend Delhi G20 Summit
In a major development ahead of the much-anticipated G20 Summit in New Delhi, China confirmed on Monday that President Xi Jinping would not be attending the upcoming two-day event this week. In an official release, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced that Premier Li Qiang would be in India to represent the country at the 18th G20 Summit.
Why does this story matter?
This announcement comes after Xi skipped a key event in South Africa during the BRICS Summit, reported South China Morning Post. Meanwhile, New Delhi is gearing up to host the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday at the new Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan. The event is set to be one of the biggest gatherings of global leaders, where issues like the world economy and climate change would be discussed.
China willing to work with all sides: Top official
While providing further details, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told the news agency AFP, "China has always placed high importance on and actively participated in relevant (G20 Summit) events." "We (China) are willing to work with all sides to push for the success of the G20 Leaders' Summit, and to make active contributions to promoting stable global economic recovery and sustainable development," he added.
Li to also represent China at ASEAN, EA summits: Report
While no particular reasons have been mentioned for Xi's absence at the G20 Summit, the Chinese president will reportedly not attend the East Asia Summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit later this week. According to the news agency PTI, Premier Li will represent Beijing at both of these events as well.
Biden 'disappointed' over Xi's G20 Summit absence
Meanwhile, following previous reports of Xi's decision to skip the G20 Summit, United States (US) President Joe Biden conveyed his disappointment. "I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him," Reuters quoted Biden as saying. Notably, the two presidents might still meet at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco, scheduled for November this year.
Putin to skip G20 Summit in India too
Besides Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend this week's G20 Summit in New Delhi. In an earlier announcement, the Kremlin had conveyed that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would be representing the country at the global event.
