China officially gave no reason for Xi’s absence. Relations with hosts India have been strained recently. The cancellation is a bitter setback for India, the country that presides over the G-20. US President Biden and German Chancellor Scholz also regret China’s absence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 summit in India next weekend. China will be represented by Prime Minister Li Qiang at the meeting of heads of state and government of the 20 main industrialized and emerging countries (G20), the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Monday. This makes Xi the second president, after Russian leader Vladimir Putin, to miss the G20 meeting.
Both US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed regret over the cancellation. But this does not change the importance of the meeting, emphasized a government spokesman in Berlin.
It is the first time that a Chinese head of state has missed a G20 meeting. During the corona pandemic, Xi did not attend the G20 meeting in Rome, but participated via video conference.
G-20 Summit loses importance
For host India, Xi’s absence will likely be a blemish because it is missing an important head of state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to demonstrate how important his country has become under his G-20 presidency. With Xi’s absence, the importance of the already divided G20 platform is likely to decline further. Therefore, it should not be easier to reach a joint final statement. In previous meetings at the ministerial level, China and Russia did not agree on passages on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which prevented joint communiqués.
Premier Li will explain China’s views and proposals for G20 cooperation and urge the group to strengthen solidarity to face global economic and development challenges, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning . China stands ready to work with all parties for the success of the G20 summit.
Dispute over official map of China
No explanation was given as to why Xi would not lead the Chinese delegation this time. The backdrop could be tense relations between China and India – for example, due to a border dispute. The world’s two most populous countries claim power in an area south of Tibet and eastern India. China calls the region Zangnan, in India it is called Arunachal Pradesh. There was a bloody incident in the summer of 2020 when soldiers from both sides attacked each other. It was the worst incident of its kind in the decades-long dispute. More recently, the publication of an official map in which China claimed disputed areas for itself caused additional discontent.
Xi’s absence also suggests that the BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – contrary to what they recently wanted to show – cannot appear with one voice. Xi and Modi met at the BRICS summit in South Africa in August. As a counterweight to the West, the group of important emerging countries expanded by six members. Although India’s prime minister initially criticized the move, Modi eventually said he welcomed China’s preferred measure. But there are also concerns that India could lose influence by including China-friendly nations in the group.
This means no Biden-Xi meeting is possible
Xi’s possible bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi are now canceled – like the one he had with US President Biden. Relations between the two great powers have long been difficult due to conflicting economic interests and the geopolitical situation surrounding Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
For Xi, the war in Ukraine is a delicate issue on the summit’s agenda. The People’s Republic, led by the Communist Party, is considered an important partner country of Russia, but had already presented a controversial peace plan proposal. According to his own statements, Russian President Putin wants to meet with Xi in the near future. However, Putin will also be absent from the G20 summit in India. According to the Kremlin, it is focused on “special military operations”, as Moscow calls the war against Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent him in New Delhi. There is an international arrest warrant for Putin over the Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. (APA)