Xi Jinping won’t attend upcoming G20 meeting in New Delhi: media reports
- The Chinese leader’s decision, if confirmed, comes amid rising tensions between India and China
- Speculation that Xi would not get a warm reception at the summit because of China’s support for Russia after its invasion of Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to skip the Group of 20 meeting in New Delhi next week, media outlets reported, citing anonymous sources within several governments.
The decision, if confirmed, comes amid deep-seated tension between China and India over their de facto Himalayan border, the site of deadly clashes in 2020 in a steep section of the Galwan Valley.
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While there was some expectation that Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet on the sidelines of the recent Brics summit in South Africa, their contact was limited to a few minutes, reflecting the relationship’s complexities.
“It is evident that Sino-Indian relations are navigating complex terrain,” said Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. “As for the G20 summit, the eventual outcome will serve as a barometer of the extent to which geopolitical tensions and strategic competition are impacting global economic cooperation and multilateral diplomacy.”
Reuters cited two Indian officials in reporting Xi’s expected absence, one a diplomat based in China and the other working for the government of another G20 country. Agence France-Presse did as well, citing a senior European Union official, as did the Financial Times, saying that three Western officials were sources. All reported that Premier Li Qiang was expected to represent Beijing at the September 9-10 gathering.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that he would not travel to India and would send Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.