President Biden Expresses Disappointment Over Xi Jinping's Absence From G20 Summit In India

On Sunday, President Joe Biden expressed his "disappointment" upon hearing reports that Chinese Premier Xi Jinping would not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in India , as reported by The Hill.

“I am disappointed, but I am going to see him,” when questioned about Xi's absence from the G20 summit , President Biden stated to reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, as reported by The Hill, a U.S. political website.

Biden did not provide further details regarding the potential future meeting location with Xi.

Biden's comments followed recent reports from several media outlets suggesting that it is highly unlikely that Xi will participate in the G20 summit scheduled for New Delhi.

Biden's recently confirmed summit visit is anticipated to offer the United States another chance to enhance cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region as a means to counterbalance China, as reported by The Hill.

Last week, when discussing the potential for a meeting between China's President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden during this year's G20 Summit hosted by India , the White House expressed President Biden's anticipation of engaging in discussions and maintaining the current level of interaction with China.

On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated: “I’ll just let the President’s words stand for himself. He (Joe Biden) spoke about it during his press conference at Camp David. You heard him speak of it, he’s looking forward to having that conversation, continuing that ongoing engagement.”

The White House has acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the Chinese President's attendance at the G20 Summit. President Biden has reiterated his eagerness to maintain ongoing communication and dialogue with President Xi on multiple occasions.

"So, as it relates to his attendance — President Xi’s attendance to the G20, I would leave that to, you know — to his spokesperson to answer that question, not for me to answer," said the White House Press Secretary.

The two presidents came face-to-face for the first time since Biden took office at last year's G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. During their meeting, Biden suggested to Xi that it's crucial to handle the disparities between their countries to avoid their competition escalating into a potential conflict.

Tensions between the United States and China have risen significantly across a range of issues, encompassing technology disputes, espionage concerns, economic competition, and military capabilities. There have been numerous instances of close military encounters in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Additionally, an incident involving a spy balloon occurred in February, and there are ongoing allegations that China has been operating a spy facility in Cuba since at least 2019, as reported by The Hill.

Jake Sullivan , the White House national security advisor, announced that President Biden is scheduled to embark on a summit visit to India from September 7th to 10th. During this visit, President Biden will engage in several one-on-one meetings with various world leaders, although Sullivan did not specify their names.

According to a report from The Hill, multiple high-ranking U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, have undertaken visits to China in recent months with the aim of enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries.