China's Xi is likely not to be part of the G20 summit in India

2023-08-31 21:15:00, Aktualitet CNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip a summit of G20 leaders in India next week, sources familiar with the matter in India and China told Reuters, a development that would destroy chances of a meeting there with US President Joe Biden .

Xi's absence could also be a blow to host India, according to some analysts, who see it as a signal that China is reluctant to exert influence over its southern neighbor, which boasts one of the world's fastest-growing major economies. , as China slows down.

Two Indian officials, a China-based diplomat and an official working for the government of another G20 country said Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the September 9-10 meeting in New Delhi.

Spokesmen for the foreign ministries of India and China did not respond to requests for comment.

Li is also likely to attend a summit of East and Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 5-7, according to a report by Kyodo.

The summit in India had been seen as a venue for a possible meeting between Xi and Biden, who has confirmed his attendance, as the two superpowers seek to stabilize relations strained by trade and geopolitical tensions.

Xi last met with Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November.

"I hope he attends," Biden told reporters Thursday in Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already said that he will not travel to New Delhi and will send Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead.

A senior government official from India told Reuters that "we are aware that the prime minister will come," instead of Xi.

In China, two foreign diplomats and a government official from another G20 country said Xi would likely not travel to the summit.

Two of the three sources in China said they had been briefed by Chinese officials, but they were not aware of the reason for Xi's expected absence.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media./ CNA