Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend this month's Group of Twenty (G20) summit, a decision that will be a blow to South Africa, which is already facing a boycott from US President Donald Trump. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
China's Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the Asian nation would be represented at the leaders' summit, which begins on November 22 in Johannesburg, by Premier Li Qiang. The statement did not explain why Xi, who attended the event last year, would be absent this time.
As the publication notes, Xi's decision means that the summit, created to discuss global economic issues and usually attended by heads of state, will take place without the leaders of the world's two largest economies - the US and China - as well as without Russia.
Since the pandemic, Xi has significantly curtailed international travel, with the exception of major summits where he holds numerous bilateral meetings - such as last month in South Korea, where he met with Trump before the APEC summit.
Instead, he conducts so-called "home-field diplomacy" - this year hosting Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in China, seeking to strengthen ties with countries in the region amid escalating rivalry with the United States. In 2023, Xi visited South Africa for the BRICS summit, and also hosted African leaders in Beijing last year.
Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Xi's absence from the G20 meeting does not mean Beijing is downplaying its importance.
I see no indication that China considers global governance institutions less important. They remain key channels for conveying Chinese messages to the world.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian emphasized at a regular briefing on Thursday that the meeting in Johannesburg has "great historical significance" as it is the first G20 summit on the African continent, and expressed support for South Africa as the presiding party.
Li, the second-highest ranking official in the Chinese hierarchy, has repeatedly represented Xi at important international events - including the G20 summit in India in 2023 and the BRICS leaders' meeting in Brazil in July.
Recall
US President Donald Trump stated that US representatives would not participate in the G20 summit in South Africa. He called the summit there "a complete disgrace" due to the killings of Afrikaners and the seizure of their lands.
Donald Trump also stated that South Africa does not deserve a place in the G20. He believes that the country should no longer be part of the group.