Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly likely to miss the upcoming G20 summit scheduled in Delhi next week, as per media reports on Thursday.
The G20 consists of 19 nations plus the European Union, and its discussions encompass key global economic, financial, climate, and sustainable development issues.
This year, New Delhi is the host and holds the presidency, with the summit of heads of state and government planned for September 9 and 10. While it was initially anticipated that President Xi would participate, along with leaders like US President Joe Biden, who confirmed his attendance, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, recent reports quoting Indian and foreign diplomats suggest that Premier Li Qiang is likely to represent Beijing instead.
The Indian Foreign Ministry did not provide any comment in response to inquiries. President Xi had notable discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Brics summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, last week. During this meeting, both leaders pledged to enhance efforts to de-escalate tensions along their border, which had soured diplomatic relations following clashes in the Himalayan region in 2020 resulting in casualties.
The G20 summit was anticipated to facilitate a meeting between President Xi and President Biden to ease trade and geopolitical tensions between their respective nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already declared his absence from the summit, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov set to attend in his place.