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[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] It has been reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend in person the G20 summit scheduled for the 30th to 31st of this month (local time) in Rome, Italy. Amid a situation where international cooperation is essential to address various issues such as COVID-19 and climate change, concerns have arisen that Xi’s absence from the face-to-face meeting will make reaching a consensus more difficult.

On the 5th (local time), Bloomberg News cited four sources familiar with the matter, reporting that China informed relevant national officials of this decision during the Sherpa meeting held last month in Florence, Italy, which was organized to prepare for the G20 summit.

Sources stated that China cited its COVID-19 guidelines, including quarantine requirements for incoming travelers, as the reason for President Xi’s absence from the on-site meeting.

Bloomberg reported, “There has been no further communication since then, and Italy has yet to receive an official response,” adding, “China often announces its national leader’s travel plans at the last minute, and the final decision may not be conveyed to the Italian government even as the summit approaches.”

Furthermore, it was noted that neither the Italian government nor the Chinese embassies in London and Rome immediately commented on the matter.

President Xi has been participating in summits via video conference or individual calls with other leaders but has not traveled abroad at all since mid-January last year. Accordingly, Xi is considered the G20 leader who has gone the longest without an overseas visit.

Earlier, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) also reported last month that President Xi was considering attending the Rome G20 summit via video conference.

This month’s G20 meeting is being held amid rising calls for strengthened international cooperation on issues such as climate change, COVID-19, and semiconductor supply shortages.

Bloomberg emphasized the significance of the in-person attendance of the Chinese leader, a key party in these matters, quoting diplomats who said, “Xi’s absence from the G20 summit will make it more difficult to reach agreements to resolve these issues.”

Notably, this G20 summit is held just before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled for November. Ahead of this meeting, which is expected to resolve to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and support the development of eco-friendly energy in developing countries, China’s role as one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters is inevitably crucial.

Bloomberg reported, “European diplomats believe that if President Xi does not attend the G20 summit in person, it is highly likely that he will also not attend COP26 in person.”

If President Xi ultimately chooses to attend the summit via video conference rather than in person, it appears that the first direct face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden will be canceled once again.

Since Biden’s inauguration, the U.S.-China leaders have met via calls or video summits but have never met face-to-face.

President Biden proposed a face-to-face meeting during a 90-minute call with President Xi last month, but the proposal failed as Xi did not respond.

The Biden administration, continuing the China policy stance of the former Trump administration, has intensified its offensive against China on issues including human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, suppression of the Hong Kong democracy movement, Taiwan issues, military expansion, and non-market practices, resulting in a tense relationship between the two countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.