China’s President Xi Jinping will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi, India, marking the first time a Chinese leader has skipped the event since it began in 2008. Premier Li Qiang will represent China instead. The absence of Xi comes as tensions between China and India continue to simmer, particularly over their disputed border and New Delhi’s growing ties with the United States.
Speculation about Xi’s non-attendance arose last week when two unnamed Indian diplomats suggested he would not be present at the summit. When questioned about the matter, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Li, China’s second-ranking leader, would attend the summit without mentioning Xi. Mao did not address the reason for Xi’s absence.
The decision is seen as a possible snub to India, which is hosting the G20 summit for the first time and aims to increase its global influence under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi’s absence may also reignite concerns about China’s relationship with the United States, as there were expectations of a potential meeting between Xi and US President Joe Biden during the summit.
Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that the absence of Xi at the G20 summit is significant and could be interpreted as intentional snubbing or a result of domestic issues. However, regardless of the actual reasons, the perception will be that it is a snub against India.
In addition to Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also skip the summit and instead send the country’s foreign minister. This decision comes as Putin faces an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
The absence of Xi and Putin at the G20 summit dashes hopes of potential meetings with other world leaders, including Biden. Biden expressed disappointment at the news, as he had anticipated meeting Xi during the event. The two leaders last met in person in November 2022 and had pledged to restore communication channels to prevent further tensions.
The absence of Xi from the summit means there will be no formal bilateral meeting between him and Modi. The two leaders had recently agreed to deescalate tensions at the disputed border, but tensions rose again last week when India protested against China’s newly published national map, which included Indian territory. The disputed border has been a long-standing issue between the two countries, with a war in 1962 and a deadly clash in 2020 exacerbating the tensions.
Overall, Xi’s absence at the G20 summit raises questions about China’s intentions and relationships with India and the United States. The speculation surrounding the decision reflects the importance of high-level diplomatic meetings and their impact on global politics and alliances.