Is Xi Jinping's G20 'No Show' a Move to Contain India?

Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision to skip the upcoming G20 summit is being seen as a strategic move aimed at undermining the host country India’s efforts to showcase its G20 achievements.

On the 31st (local time), major foreign media reported that instead of President Xi, Premier Li Chang will attend the G20 summit scheduled for November 9-10 in New Delhi, India. Premier Li is also expected to represent China at the East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Jakarta, Indonesia from November 5-7, prior to the G20 summit.

President Xi’s no-show at the G20 summit is highly unusual. Since taking office at the end of 2012, Xi has attended the G20 summit every year except in 2021 when he participated virtually due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Professor Zhang Baohui of Lingnan University said, "President Xi regards the G20 summit as an important platform to assert China’s geopolitical advantage in global competition with the United States, which is why he has attended in person every year." He added, "The message China delivers and its influence at this G20 meeting, where Premier Li will represent China, will not be the same as before."

Foreign media, citing Western officials, reported that Xi’s absence is intended to deal a blow to the Narendra Modi government’s attempt to use this G20 summit as a stage to flaunt India’s high economic growth and increased geopolitical influence. One foreign outlet noted, "Even at the working-level meetings held before the G20 summit, Chinese officials showed an uncooperative stance in negotiating key agenda items."

Last month, India joined the ranks of space powers by becoming the first country to land a probe (Chandrayaan 3) on the moon’s south pole, rapidly emerging as a market that could replace China in the global supply chain and even challenging China’s status as the ‘world’s factory.’ Meanwhile, China’s economy is deteriorating. The crisis that began in the real estate market, which was the engine of high economic growth, is showing signs of spreading to the financial sector, shaking the three pillars supporting the economy: real estate, exports, and domestic consumption.

Fawa Amar, head of the South Asia Initiative at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) in New York, said, "Xi skipping this year’s G20 can be interpreted as a refusal to concede China’s status to India," adding, "He likely did not want to participate in an event that highlights India’s rise amid China’s economic downturn."

At the first session of the G20 Summit held in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, in November last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) is seen conversing with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (left).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Indrani Bagchi, head of the Ananta Aspen Centre, an Indian think tank, said, "China does not want India’s G20 hosting to be successful," and noted, "India has also begun to realize that China will openly express strong opposition to India’s rise." Earlier, at the BRICS summit that ended on October 24, China tried to expand its influence by accepting as many friendly countries as possible as new members and sought ways to break away from the dollar-based financial system. However, due to opposition from India and others, only 6 out of 22 applicant countries were admitted, and discussions on de-dollarization did not even begin.

India is pursuing a ‘middle power’ diplomacy, aligning with its own interests amid US-China rivalry by being a member of the US-led Indo-Pacific security forum ‘QUAD’ (comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and India) while also participating in the China-led economic bloc ‘BRICS.’ India and China have also experienced tensions, such as the June 2020 Galwan Valley ‘baton clash’ that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers.

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