China's Foreign Ministry on Monday confirmed that President Xi Jinping will not attend the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. Instead, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead the Chinese delegation.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that at the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10. She did not provide details for President Xi's absence from the high-profile meeting.
Xi is also not attending the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Again, the Chinese Premier will head the delegation in Indonesia.
In 2021, the Chinese President did not travel to Italy to participate in the G20 summit due to China's COVID-19 restrictions.
'Disappointed' that Xi's not attending: Biden
Earlier today, US President Joe Biden said that he was looking forward for his India visit to attend the G20 Summit, adding that he was disappointed that the Chinese President will be absent from New Delhi. "I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him," Biden said in response to a question.
US President 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 the G20 leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the summit.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already conveyed to PM Modi that he will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi to focus on "special military operation" in Ukraine. He had skipped the G20 Summit last year in Bali.
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said the absence of Chinese and Russian Presidents - Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in the G20 Summit will have no impact on the outcome of the global event because most things have been worked at now is part of the declaration.
The G20 group comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). India assumed the G20 presidency last year and will hand it over to Brazilian President Lula da Silva on September 10.
(with PTI inputs)
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