President Biden said he was “disappointed” that Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned to skip next week’s Group of 20 summit.
Instead, Xi is ready to send Premier Li Qiang to the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on his behalf.
“I’m disappointed, but I’ll see you [Jinping]” at one point, Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Sunday.
China did not say why Xi did not attend the summit, but Reuters reported that the move stemmed from China’s volatile relationship with India over their shared border.
Biden is set to attend the summit from September 7 to September 10.
From there, he will head to Alaska – on his way back to the states from India – to mark the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Critics including former New York Gov. George Pataki — who was the state’s governor on 9/11 — have blasted Biden for not being at any of the attacked US sites, including the World Trade Center in Manhattan, for the day.
President Biden said he was “disappointed” that the Chinese leader would not be attending the G20 summit next week.AP
Xi and Biden met at the previous G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November last year.
China has struggled with a booming economy at home.
Relations between the two superpowers have also deteriorated in recent years, although the Biden administration has begun making proposals.
Last week, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo completed her visit from August 27 to 30 to Beijing and Shanghai, where she met with a large number of Chinese officials.
It marks the first time the US commerce secretary has visited China in nearly five years.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Biden met at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last year.AP
Raimondo touted a more streamlined communication process with China as a major achievement of his visit.
But he also cautioned that he was a “realist” in China and it was too early to believe.
In addition to Raimondo’s visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken went to China in June, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen went in July.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said during a press conference Monday, “The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation.
“China has always attached great importance to and actively participated in G20 events.”
Xi Jinping is facing a declining economy at home. EyePress News/Shutterstock
The Biden administration has tried to thaw its frosty relationship with China.AFP via Getty Images
Both India and China have been at loggerheads over their shared border, exacerbated by fighting in the Ladakh region that left 20 Indian soldiers dead in 2020.
Both countries have expelled journalists and built up their military forces on both sides of the border.
India overtook China as the world’s most populous country earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the US has sought to secure stronger ties with India.
“While in New Delhi, the president will also praise Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as a major forum for economic cooperation, including hosting it in 2026,” the White House said in a statement.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
