After Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping Likely To Skip G20 Summit In India

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely not expected to attend the upcoming G20 leaders' summit in India, according to a Reuters report on Thursday, referencing insiders familiar with the matter from both India and China.

It is expected that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will represent Beijing during the September 9-10 gathering in New Delhi, as mentioned by two Indian officials, a diplomat stationed in China, and an official from another G20 nation, according to the news agency.

The G20 summit in New Delhi had previously been envisioned as a potential platform for a meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, and even a potential bilateral interaction between the Chinese President and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This revelation about Xi's non-participation comes shortly after the Kremlin's announcement that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the event. Instead, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will act as Moscow's representative at the forum.

A senior official from the Indian government verified to Reuters that Premier Li Qiang will stand in for Xi Jinping. While Chinese sources indicated Xi's probable absence, the specific rationale behind it remains undisclosed.

Xi, who began his third term last year, has kept his foreign travel limited due to pandemic-related restrictions. Recently, the Chinese President participated in the BRICS meeting in South Africa, where he engaged in an informal discussion with PM Modi.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he won't be making the trip to New Delhi and will designate Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as his representative.