Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend a summit of the Group of 20 major economies to be held in New Delhi this weekend, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday, with no reasons provided for President Xi Jinping's absence.
The United States had explored the possibility of a summit between President Joe Biden and Xi in the Indian capital. The two governments are expected to arrange the talks on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco in November.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a press conference that China has always "attached great importance" to the G-20 as a major forum for international economic cooperation, and Li will explain China's views and proposals for member countries to jointly cope with global economic and development challenges.
She did not directly answer a question asking why Xi will not take part in the meeting. Li will travel to India after attending summit talks related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta.
Biden expressed disappointment Sunday at reports that Xi would likely skip the G-20 meeting but said he is "going to get to see him."
The two leaders last met in person in Bali, Indonesia, on the fringes of a G-20 meeting in November 2022.
The world's two largest economies have been increasing communication recently, with a series of China visits by senior U.S. officials, despite significant disagreements remaining over nearly all major political and economic issues.
