‘Biden Has No Plans to Meet Chinese Premier at G20’

Leaders from various nations have begun arriving in India to participate in the G20 Summit. India, as the host nation, is welcoming  top leaders from around the world to the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan on September 9-10 for the G20 Leaders Summit. This marks the first time that the G20 Summit is being held under India’s presidency. Established in 1999, the G20’s primary aim is to maintain global financial stability by involving middle-income countries.

Notable attendees include US President Joe Biden, Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chinese President Xi Jinping has opted to skip the summit, with Premier Li Qiang representing China in his absence.

A White House official has confirmed that President Joe Biden, currently en route to India for the G20 Summit, has no plans to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the weekend. This decision was disclosed by the president’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, who briefed reporters on the summit agenda before President Biden’s departure for India.

President Biden’s schedule for the G20 Summit includes various engagements. On September 9, he will participate in an official arrival ceremony and handshake with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also take part in two G20 Leaders’ Summit sessions titled “One Earth” and “One Family,” as well as an event on Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The day will conclude with a dinner and cultural program alongside other G20 Leaders.

On September 10, President Biden will visit the Raj Ghat Memorial with fellow G20 Leaders before departing for Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of his official travel itinerary.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 the previous year, organizing approximately 200 meetings related to the G20 in 60 cities across the country. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi represents the culmination of a year’s worth of ministerial, senior official, and civil society meetings. At the end of the G20 Summit, leaders will adopt a G20 Leaders’ declaration, outlining their commitment to the discussed priorities. Brazil is set to take over the G20 presidency in 2024, followed by South Africa in 2025.