02 September 2024. Xi Jinping, the president of China, is not visiting India for the G20 Summit this year. This development will undermine the possibility of meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the summit.
In Washington on this Thursday, president Biden told the reporters that he hopes Xi Jinping attends the meeting next week. While some US officials downplayed the possibility of a Xi-Biden attending the G20 Summit in New Delhi, saying it was more likely to take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) assembling in San Francisco in November.
The potential absence of Chinese president was reported by Reuters this Thursday. Analysts told Reuters that any decision by the president of china to be absent on the summit may be related to the rivalry with India who’s going to be the host this year.
Conflict Between Xi and Modi is Dragging out for 3 years
Two of the three trusted source in China stated that Chinese officials had informed them of the anticipated absence of Xi Jinping, but they were unaware of the cause.
However, relation between China and India have been strained for more that three years as soldiers from both sides had engaged in a conflict in the Himalayan border region in June 2020, which resulted in 24 casualties.
The reason of the conflict between this two nations was the map published by Beijing this week. Which shows Doklam Plateau and Arunachal Pradesh within China’s border. India and China have had a conflict in the past over this issue.
India officially objected to this matter on Tuesday, Beijing responded by telling India to “Stay calm” on this matter and on Wednesday, Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry, asked nations to avoid over-interpreting the map, which also claimed territory in the South China sea.
In all previous G20 Summit, Xi Jinping has participated physically since 2013 after he became president, with the exception of covid pandemic in 2021, when he joined the meeting virtually.
Two Indian officials, another diplomate posted in China and one official of another G20 nation, informed that Premier Li Qiang will be expected to represent China at the G20 Summit that starting on September 9th in New Delhi.
A report from Kyodo says, Li is also possibly attending the summit of South-East and East Asian leaders on September 5 to 7, which will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Requests for response from the Chinese and Indian foreign ministries’ spokesperson remained unanswered.
The G20 Summit in India was considered as a spot for a potential meeting between the two giant political figure, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, as both leaders attempt to restore relations that have been damaged by trade disputes and geopolitical tension. Biden and Xi last spoke outside the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in November.
Vladimir Putin already announced that he will not be attending G20 Summit in India, instead, the foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will be Russian representative this year.
The G20 meeting is considered as a significant platform for India, with its successful Moon landing on the darker side of the moon and promotes itself as a growing power with appealing markets and source for a diversification globally.
