Insiders knowledgeable about the diplomatic relations between India and China have suggested that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to be absent from the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi, according to reports by Reuters. While representatives from both the Indian and Chinese foreign ministries have yet to make an official statement, it appears that Premier Li Qiang will be representing China during the event, which is scheduled for September 9-10.
The G20 conference in New Delhi had been anticipated as a potential setting for a meeting between Xi and Joe Biden, the president of the United States, who has since confirmed his attendance. It was hoped that this summit would help to ease trade and geopolitical tensions between the two powerful countries. Xi and Biden earlier met in Bali, Indonesia, in November of the year before, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
The absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin from the meeting has already been announced; instead, Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, will represent Russia. The probable cause of Xi’s absence, however, is still unknown because sources in China and India haven’t been given the specifics.
Premier Li Qiang is anticipated to replace Xi for the conference, according to a senior Indian government official. In addition, sources from China, including foreign diplomats and government representatives from other G20 nations, have said that it is unlikely that Xi will attend.
The expectation of a meeting between Xi and Biden has been fueled by a series of high-level visits by U.S. officials to Beijing in recent months. Despite this, the much-anticipated face-to-face interaction between the two leaders might not materialize at the impending G20 summit. Another potential occasion for their interaction is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting in San Francisco, scheduled from November 12 to 18.
Xi, who secured an extraordinary third term as China’s leader in October of the previous year, has restricted his international travels following the relaxation of pandemic-related border controls in the country. Notably, he did take part in a meeting of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in South Africa recently.
As the summit approaches, various ministerial meetings within the G20 framework in India have encountered challenges. Russia and China jointly opposed statements that contained segments denouncing Russia’s intervention in Ukraine last year.
On a positive note, Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a rare conversation during the BRICS meeting in Johannesburg. Their discussion centered on de-escalating tensions in the bilateral relationship, which had turned sour following confrontations along their Himalayan border in 2020, resulting in the loss of lives of 24 soldiers.
