2023-09-04 11:03:03
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on September 9-10, the foreign ministry announced Monday (September 4). communiqué.
Last week, a European official, on condition of anonymity, told reporters in Brussels that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not planning to attend the G20 summit. US President Joe Biden said to himself ” disappointed “ of this absence.
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Asked about it Monday at a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning did not confirm Xi’s non-participation, saying only that Li Qiang “would lead a delegation” an Inside.
“The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation”said the spokeswoman. “By attending this meeting, Premier Li Qiang will convey China’s thoughts and positions on cooperation in the G20, calling on the G20 to strengthen unity and cooperation and working together to face global challenges of economy and development. »
Tensions still high
President Xi held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, host of the G20 summit, in a rare face-to-face meeting at the BRICS summit in South Africa two weeks ago, but Tensions remain high between the two countries.
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In late August, new tensions surfaced after Beijing released a map claiming land that New Delhi considers its own. Since then, tens of thousands of soldiers have been massed on either side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China, but which is not clearly demarcated. .
On Monday, India launched major military maneuvers, including along the disputed Himalayan border with China. The eleven days of operations constitute “an annual training exercise” in the northern areas bordering Pakistan and China, a defense official told Agence France-Presse, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
European officials hope the G20 summit will be an opportunity to try to get India and China to get tougher on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
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