BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip a summit of G20 leaders in India next week, says a media report.
Two Indian officials, one diplomat based in China and one official working for the government of another G20 country, said that Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the Sept. 9-10 meeting in New Delhi, news agency Reuters said in the report. However, it said, the Spokespersons for the Indian and Chinese foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
One senior government official from India told Reuters that “we are aware that the premier will come” in place of President Xi Jinping.
In China, two foreign diplomats and a government official from another G20 country said that the Chinese President will likely not be travelling for the summit.
The sources in China, two of whom said they were informed by the Chinese officials, said they were not aware of the reason for his expected absence.
It is to mention here that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has already announced that he will not be travelling to India and will send Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead for the summit.
