Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to miss the upcoming G20 summit in India, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang expected to represent China instead. This follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s prior announcement that he won’t attend, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov standing in for him.
The G20 summit is scheduled for September 9-10 in New Delhi. Xi’s limited international travel in 2023, due to economic and domestic challenges, has only included visits to Russia and South Africa. He met briefly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent BRICS summit, where they discussed matters at China’s initiative. The G20 summit was anticipated to provide an opportunity for Xi to meet with US President Joe Biden, as both countries aim to mend strained trade and geopolitical relations. Their last meeting was in Bali during the previous G20 summit.