US President Joe Biden expressed his “disappointment” over the likely absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping at this week’s G20 Summit in New Delhi. Reports suggest that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the summit. While Biden expressed disappointment, he didn’t provide further details. The last meeting between the two leaders was at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022.
Xi had previously indicated his intention to attend the New Delhi Summit, but China’s Foreign Ministry had not confirmed his attendance as of August 31. The withdrawal comes amid continued deterioration in US-China relations over the past year, although there’s still a potential meeting opportunity in November at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in San Francisco.