Even as the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirms that the G20 Summit in Delhi this weekend will be attended by its premier Le Qiang and not President Xi Jinping, senior officials in New Delhi have said that Xi’s no show at the Summit does not reflect anything about the host nation– India. The officials here see it as a natural development, saying that the level of attendance and participation at such summits and conclaves varies from time to time due to one reason or the other.
Government sources here also played down the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of Mexico at the Summit. “In today’s world with so many demands on the leaders’ time, it is not always possible for every leader to attend every summit,” official sources said. Sources added that given world leaders’ busy schedules “it is not always possible for every leader to attend every summit” and that many may skip summits for personal reasons. President Putin has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will not be present at the G20 Summit. He will send foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in his place.
The President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, hasn’t attended a G20 Summit since 2018 and Saudi Arabia has failed to send a head of state on no fewer than nine instances, including sending a junior minister (without a portfolio) for the 2017 summit in Hamburg in Germany. Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro Sanchez will attend in their place.
Only Canada, Germany, India, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union have always sent a head of state to a G20 summit. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has said he will be disappointed if Mr Jinping does not attend but added “I am going to get to see him”, although he did not specify when and where.
Ending the uncertainty, China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that President Xi Jinping will for the first time skip a G-20 summit, with the Chinese Premier and second-ranked leader Li Qiang instead deputed to attend the September 9-10 meet in New Delhi. No reasons have been given for Xi skipping the summit. “China looks forward to the G-20 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,” a spokesperson said.