Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Represent China at G20 Summit in Delhi as President Xi Jinping Opts to Skip.
President Jinping Becomes Second World Leader to Miss India Summit.
 In a significant development preceding the 18th G20 Summit set to occur in Delhi this weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping has chosen not to attend the event, marking him as the second major world leader to opt out of the summit hosted by India. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin had conveyed his unavailability and decided to delegate Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as his representative.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will now assume China’s representation at the G20 Summit, a decision that was officially confirmed by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a brief statement posted on their website. Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, the statement mentioned, “Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will participate in the 18th G20 Summit, scheduled for September 9 and 10 in New Delhi, India, upon the invitation of the government of the Republic of India.”
Although no specific rationale was provided for President Xi Jinping’s absence, it is widely acknowledged that Beijing generally refrains from dispatching its two most influential leaders abroad concurrently, particularly to the same international event.
Mao Ning, the foreign ministry spokesperson, underscored China’s dedication to international cooperation and the G20’s role in addressing global predicaments. He articulated, “China aspires to use this summit as an opportunity to consolidate consensus, instill confidence, and promote development. Premier Li Qiang will convey China’s perspectives and stances on G20 cooperation, urging the G20 to enhance unity and cooperation while working collectively to tackle global economic and developmental challenges.”
The spokesperson also underscored China’s willingness to collaborate with other nations to ensure the G20 Leaders’ Summit’s success and contribute to global economic resurgence and sustainable development.
President Xi Jinping’s absence from the G20 Summit has also triggered speculations regarding his participation in the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia summits in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to reports from the Press Trust of India (PTI), it is anticipated that Premier Li Qiang will also represent China at these forthcoming gatherings.
Chinese state media outlet Global Times, on the now-defunct social media platform X (formerly Twitter), conveyed China’s aspirations for the G20 Summit, stating, “China eagerly anticipates the G20 New Delhi Summit achieving a consensus on addressing economic and developmental challenges, instilling confidence in the global community, and fostering shared prosperity and growth.”
The confirmation of President Xi Jinping’s nonattendance follows several days of speculation and recent international disputes, including a contentious “standard map” that claims various territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and portions of other countries, as Chinese territory.
Source: NDTV
It is worth noting that President Xi Jinping’s decision to skip the G20 Summit in India has led to disappointment among several world leaders who had previously confirmed their participation. Prominent leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among those expected to be in attendance.
Although President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not meet in Delhi during the G20 meetings, they did engage in a brief conversation on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit held in South Africa last month. During this interaction, the two leaders affirmed their commitment to expedite de-escalation efforts along the entire Line of Actual Control, signaling a diplomatic endeavor to address longstanding border disputes between their respective countries.
