Li at G20, Xi in northern China

The Group of 20 (G20) summit concluded yesterday in New Delhi, India. The two-day meetings of world leaders ended with a decision to include the African Union in the G20, as well as what some critics allege was a watered-down condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine — the final statement said “all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition” without mentioning Russia.

Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 did not attend, the first time he or any Chinese leader has skipped a G20 summit since the first one in Washington, D.C., in 2008. But Chinese Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强, Xi’s second-in-command, did go to represent China in his place.

“We call on all countries to respect each other, seek common ground while reserving differences, live together in peace, and work jointly to meet global challenges and create a better future,” Li said in his remarks in New Delhi.

Li also met with a slew of world leaders, and had an unexpected talk with U.S. President Joe Biden. It was the highest-level dialogue between American and Chinese leadership since Biden and Xi spoke at last year’s G20 in November 2022 in Indonesia.

“We talked about stability,” Biden told reporters, noting that the encounter “wasn’t confrontational at all.” They also discussed the Global South, Biden said, without providing further details.

“We’re not looking to hurt China,” Biden added. But “China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game in terms of trade and other issues.”

China reportedly challenged the U.S.’s presidency of G20 in 2026

Chinese officials challenged plans for the U.S. to chair the G20 in 2026 by privately asking the group to remove a reference to the U.S.’s expected presidency in the joint declaration, the Financial Times reported.

G20 members rotate their chairmanship of the group each year, a responsibility that includes setting the agenda for the group’s discussions, leading ministerial meetings, and hosting the annual summit of world leaders. The U.S. has said it will take on the position after India, Brazil, and South Africa complete their respective yearlong stints.

China’s objection — allegedly backed by Russia, whose President Vladmir Putin was also not present at the summit — is largely symbolic, because it’s unlikely the decision will be reversed. The phrase was still included in the final statement adopted by G20 leaders, with China’s name attached: “We look forward to meeting again in Brazil in 2024 and in South Africa in 2025, as well as in the United States in 2026 at the beginning of the next cycle,” the joint statement said.

Italy sends another signal that it will exit the BRI

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Li Qiang on the sidelines of the summit. She stated that her country wants to “consolidate and deepen” ties with China, despite recent signals from her government that Rome is considering an exit to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of Chinese-funded global infrastructure projects.

“The issue is how to ensure a partnership that can be mutually beneficial, regardless of the choices we make on the BRI,” Meloni said in a press conference yesterday at the end of the summit.

In private, she reportedly signaled to Li Qiang that Rome does plan to withdraw from the BRI, while still looking to maintain friendly relations with Beijing. Italy had shocked the U.S. and EU when it became the first major Western nation to sign on to China’s trillion-dollar infrastructure initiative in 2019. But as the deal comes up for renewal in March 2024, Rome must decide whether it will formally request to withdraw from the BRI three months in advance.

Meanwhile, China and Europe should “unite and co-operate” against global uncertainties, Li Qiang told the European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the summit on September 9. It comes as the EU has repeatedly stated its goal of “de-risking” with China, which it has labeled as a partner, competitor, and “systemic rival” since 2019.

The U.K. raised concerns about Chinese interference

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Li Qiang he has “very strong concerns about any interference in our parliamentary democracy, which is obviously unacceptable,” after the Sunday Times reported the arrest of two alleged spies for China, including a parliamentary researcher. (The Times today reported that the researcher is Chris Cash, who worked for the China Research Group, which produced reports that were often highly critical of China for British MPs and for the press.)

Sunak also told reporters he raised other issues of concern with Li. “I think the right thing to do is take the opportunity to engage to raise concerns specifically,” he said, “rather than just shouting from the sidelines.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has rejected the spying accusations as “malicious slander” and urged the U.K. to “stop spreading fake information.”

Chinese think tank hits out at India for “sabotaging” G20

A Chinese think tank affiliated with the country’s Ministry of State Security published an article criticizing India’s hosting of G20, just hours before the world leaders gathered in New Delhi.

“In addition to causing diplomatic turmoil and public opinion turmoil, India’s actions in hosting meetings in disputed territories have also ‘stole[n] the spotlight,’ sabotaging the cooperative atmosphere of the G20 meeting and hindering the achievement of substantive results,” the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations said on its official WeChat account on September 9.

India previously held two G20 sessions in disputed territories — one in the northeastern region of Arunachal Pradesh, a flashpoint in its long-standing border dispute with China, and another in Kashmir, an area contested by Pakistan.

Where was Xi?

Meanwhile, Xi was busy at home touring underdeveloped regions in northern China. He paid inspection tours to rice fields and reviewed repairs on homes and infrastructure in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, as part of his campaign to revitalize the region and push for food security.

After the Delhi Declaration was adopted, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar responded to a question on China’s engagement and participation in the G20. “I think it’s for every country to decide at what level they would be represented. I don’t think one should overly read meanings into it…China was very supportive of the various outcomes and it is only because the members were supportive and enthusiastic and collaborative that we were actually able to get this.”

Explanations for Xi’s no-show include that he wanted to snub Modi because of China’s ongoing border dispute India and the growing warmth of New Delhi’s relationship with Washington, D.C. Others have speculated that Xi wanted to show support for Putin, who did not attend, and to downgrade the importance of G20 as China seeks to increase the influence of BRICS and other multilateral groups where Beijing has a louder voice.