Washington, DC – US President Joe Biden is not planning to hold an official meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, the NBC broadcaster reported on Friday, citing US administration officials.
According to The Guardian, Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend the G20 summit in India, which starts on September 9, 2023 . The absence of Xi could be linked to rivalry with host India, as some analysts suggest . On Thursday, US President Joe Biden has expressed his hope that Xi will attend the summit . However, NBC News reports that Biden is not planning to hold an official meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi.
On Thursday, Biden said he hoped to see Xi at the G20 summit in New Delhi despite media reports that the Chinese leader would skip the gathering. Even if Xi attends the event, interaction between the two leaders will most likely be limited to official greetings and the exchange of pleasantries, the US officials told the broadcaster.
However, the two presidents may still hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco this fall, officials told the broadcaster, adding, however, that no talks had been confirmed yet.
“I have no doubt if [Xi] were to come [to the APEC conference] it would be productive,” US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told the broadcaster.
The G20 summit will be held in the Indian capital of New Delhi from September 9-10, while the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will take place in San Francisco in November.
The decision not to hold an official meeting between Biden and Xi at the G20 summit comes amid rising tensions between the two countries over a range of issues, including trade, human rights, and Taiwan. The two leaders last met in November 2021, and their next meeting is still up in the air.
The US officials who spoke to NBC said that they were still hopeful that Biden and Xi could hold a productive meeting in the near future, but that they were not going to force the issue. They said that the two leaders needed to create the right conditions for a successful meeting, and that they were not yet there.
The decision not to hold an official meeting between Biden and Xi at the G20 summit is a setback for efforts to improve relations between the two countries. However, it is not a sign that all hope is lost. The two leaders may still be able to hold a productive meeting in the near future, and they will continue to engage with each other on a range of issues.
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