Looking forward to his visit to India this week, US President Joe Biden has said he is “disappointed” that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
China on Monday officially announced that President Jinping will not attend the G20 conclave and the delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang.
Interacting with reports late on Sunday in Washington, Biden said, “Yes, I am,” when asked whether he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam. He expressed his disappointment over President Xi Jinping not attending the summit in New Delhi. “I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him,” Biden said in response to a question. He, however, did not say when that meeting may take place.
Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the high-profile event.
On Monday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing 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. Mao did not provide any reason for President Xi’s absence from the high-profile conclave hosted by India for the first time.
The spokesperson said China looks forward to the G20 New Delhi Summit reaching a consensus on tackling challenges in the economy and development, conveying confidence to the outside world and promoting shared prosperity and growth.
“I have made the announcement just now and shared with you the information I have,” she said in response to a question about why President Jinping is not attending the G20 Summit in India.
“I already covered this. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. China attaches high importance to and actively participates in G20 activities,” Mao said in response to another question about the President skipping the Summit.
The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. China has all along attached great importance to and taken an active part in G20 events, Mao said.
“During this year’s G20 Summit, Premier Li Qiang will share China’s views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges,” Mao said.
“We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development,” she added. In response to a question by China’s official media, Mao said as the world economy experiences more downward pressure and challenges grow for global sustainable development, it is important that the G20, being the premier forum for international economic cooperation, strengthen partnership and rise up to the big challenges facing global economy and development so as to contribute to world economic recovery and growth and global sustainable development.
“We hope the New Delhi Summit will form consensus on that, send out a message of confidence, and promote shared prosperity and development,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson added.
President Jinping is also skipping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week. Premier Li will be representing China at the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.
In its capacity as the current president of G20, India is hosting the annual Summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. Biden, along with more than two dozen world leaders, is scheduled to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi that is being hosted by Prime Minister Modi.
The world leaders, who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming G20 meet, include French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi his decision not to attend the summit in-person. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the country at the Summit.
Modi will hand over the baton of the G20 Presidency to Brazilian President Lula on September 10. Brazil will formally assume the G20 Presidency on December 1.
The G20 member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
The grouping 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.
