• China’s Xi to skip G20 summit in India; Premier Li Qiang will come instead

    International
    China’s Xi to skip G20 summit in India; Premier Li Qiang will come instead
    The change occurs amid controversy over China's recently published official map that staked claim to Indian territories...

    Digital Desk: China confirmed on Monday that its Premier Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi this week. Li will attend the summit on September 9–10, based on a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
     
    This comes days after reports said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will probably not travel to India for the G20 Summit. 


    China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated, "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 on September 9 and 10.”

    The change occurs amid controversy over China's recently published official map that staked claim to Indian territories. Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin were depicted on the map as being a part of Chinese territory. Following India's objection to the map, China released a statement in which it stated: "On August 28, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources released the 2023 version of the standard map. China regularly does this to exercise its sovereignty legally."

    "Relevant parties to take an objective and calm view and not over-interpret it," China further asked. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were spotted sharing the stage at the BRICS Summit in South Africa last month before the spat over the map.
    US President Joe Biden expressed his disappointment over the reports on Sunday over the allegations that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, intended to skip the G20 summit.

    As reported by Bloomberg, when questioned about indications that Xi won't attend the leaders' summit, Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, "I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him."

    It is crucial to note at this point that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Moscow at the summit as Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the meeting.

    According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone on Monday and apologized for being unable to attend the upcoming G20 Summit. Putin notified Prime Minister Modi that Sergey Lavrov, the country's foreign minister, would represent Russia.