Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 meeting in India

At the G20 meeting, scheduled for September 9 and 10 in New Delhi, China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang, and not by President Xi Jinping. His absence had been expected for some time but was only announced in recent days. Xi’s absence will likely diminish the importance of decisions to be made at the meeting, and could also damage Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to present the G20 in India as an important moment for international diplomacy. US President Joe Biden also said he was saddened by the decision, but added that he would still meet Xi in the future. – Read also: Delhi does not know what to do with stray dogs Although relations between China and India have always been rather tense, lately there had been some signs of improvement, including a conversation between Modi and Xi during the BRICS meeting in South Africa, in August. The differences between the two countries also concern some border disputes along the Himalayas: China claims the territory of Arunachal Pradesh, controlled by India, which in turn claims the territory of Aksai Chin, controlled by China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool, File)