Was Xi Jinping skipping G20 summit in Delhi because of strains between the two countries? Here's how Chinese foreign ministry responded

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• Sep 5, 2023 | Poonam Nath

The Chinese foreign ministry was asked if Xi Jinping would miss the G20 Summit in India due to tensions between the two countries...

Digital Desk:  Following China's announcement that President Xi Jinping would not attend the G20 Summit in India, the Chinese foreign ministry stated on Tuesday that "the country was ready to work with all parties to ensure the success of the global event in New Delhi this week."

China announced on Monday that Premier Li Qiang would represent China at the G20 Summit in place of President Xi Jinping.

When questioned if the choice to send the Premier rather than the President to India for the G20 Summit represented tensions between the two nations, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded that relations between China and India had been "stable on the whole."

She went on to say that the two parties had "maintained conversation and interaction at various levels" despite the border disagreement.

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"The continued improvement and expansion of China-India relations serves the two countries' and two peoples' common interests. We stand ready to collaborate with India to strengthen and advance bilateral relations," she added.

As stated by the ministry spokeswoman, "China has long placed a high value on the G20 grouping and actively engages in relevant events."

"We support India's hosting of this year's summit and stand ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success," said the spokeswoman for the ministry.

Since the violent confrontations in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June 2020, India-China relations have been strained.

For more than three years, Indian and Chinese troops have clashed in eastern Ladakh at several places of contention.

India has repeatedly stated that peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is critical to normalising overall relations.

Premier Li will represent China at the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, which will take place from September 5 to 8. After attending the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, he will proceed to India.

Talking about the summit, several world leaders have made public their attendance at the G20 Summit, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The G20 member countries represent around 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of worldwide trade, and almost two-thirds of the global population.